Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its South Dakota rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Canistota Middle School - 03

Q: Is Canistota Middle School - 03 a good school?

Canistota Middle School - 03 ranks 95 th of 151 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

95^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 151 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 37% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Canistota Middle School - 03 in Canistota, South Dakota, serves 68 students in grades 6–8. In 2025–26, its all-grade proficiency was 45% in English language arts (ELA) and 42% in math, below both the district (61% and 57%) and the state (49% and 44%). Eighth-grade science proficiency was 35%, also below the state’s 41%. The most important finding is that the school’s results trail district and state comparisons across subjects, rather than showing a concern limited to one subject.

Seventh grade is a relative strength: math proficiency was 59%, 15 points above the state, and second-highest among seven nearby schools with reported results; ELA was 55%, 2 points above the state. In contrast, sixth-grade math was 25%, 17 points below the state and lower than all five nearby schools serving that grade. Eighth-grade ELA was 40%, 12 points below the state and the lowest among nearby schools with results. Overall, Canistota’s ELA and math were also 7 and 6 points below the nearby-school averages, respectively; eighth-grade science was 3 points below its nearby average and second-lowest among the eight schools compared.

Results have weakened relative to the state over four years, especially in science: eighth-grade science fell 18 points, from 53% in 2022–23 to 35% in 2025–26, even as the state rose from 38% to 41%. ELA rose 16 points from its low in 2024–25, but remained below its 2022–23 result; math also lost ground over the four years. The latest SchoolDigger rating is 2 stars, at the 37th statewide percentile, compared with 4 stars and the 83rd percentile for the Canistota School District 43-1. The 2024–25 student-teacher ratio was 17.1, the highest among nearby schools; free/reduced lunch eligible students made up 27%, near the nearby average of 30%. SchoolDigger’s 2024–25 rankings were notably higher for Native American students (65th percentile) and lower for Military Connected Students (6th percentile), compared with 42nd overall. With 68 students, individual-grade results and subgroup rankings may be less stable.

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,552

Per pupil spending ?

26.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

431 4th Ave
Canistota, SD 57012

(605) 296-3458

District: Canistota School District 43-1

Students who attend Canistota Middle School - 03 usually attend:

High:

Canistota High School - 01

Feeder schools for Canistota Middle School - 03:

Elementary:

Canistota Elementary - 02

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.2%

American Indian:

5.9%

Hispanic:

4.4%

See top rated South Dakota middle schools

Compare Canistota Middle School - 03 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 73rd percentile in 2016 → 37th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 36 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg57%

South Dakota avg46%

95^th of 151

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Bottom 37%▼ down 36 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to bottom 37% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd of 126Canistota School District 43-1 among South Dakota districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	43.2	95 of 151	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.3	142 of 246	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	92 of 147	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.9	45 of 150	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	53.7	66 of 143	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	80.4	14 of 145	90.3%	★★★★★
2019	69.1	40 of 149	73.2%	★★★★☆
2018	85.7	6 of 147	95.9%	★★★★★
2017	85.4	11 of 146	92.5%	★★★★★
2016	64.8	39 of 147	73.5%	★★★★☆
2015	49.0	74 of 145	49.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.1	84 of 145	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	26.5	126 of 146	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	66.4	46 of 140	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	54.3	79 of 139	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	54.8	74 of 139	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	76.2	13 of 136	90.4%	★★★★★
2007	38.3	113 of 136	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	42.1	106 of 141	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	15.8	126 of 136	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	42.6	105 of 134	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	58.0	56 of 133	57.9%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	53.0	113 of 229	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.5	54 of 107	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.2	51 of 112	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.7	39 of 102	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.7	42 of 113	62.8%	★★★☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	34.1	26 of 47	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	36.7	84 of 117	28.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	39.1	125 of 187	33.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	24.1	92 of 117	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	38.1	155 of 233	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	77 of 115	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	81 of 104	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	96.4	1 of 115	99.1%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	23.5	30 of 32	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	50.6	39 of 111	64.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	46.5	81 of 181	55.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2026	38.9	90 of 133	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.4	147 of 230	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	99 of 132	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	53.9	58 of 136	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.0	77 of 132	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	75.2	16 of 136	88.2%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	36 of 136	73.5%	★★★★☆
2018	82.7	11 of 131	91.6%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Native American (2025)65th percentile+23 vs school

Special Education (2025)55th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2025)51st percentile+8 vs school

Foster Care (2025)45th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)33rd percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)32nd percentile-5 vs school

Hispanic (2025)28th percentile-14 vs school

Male (2026)21st percentile-16 vs school

Military Connected (2025)6th percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts45%-4 vs state

Mathematics42%~ state avg

Science35%-6 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Canistota Middle School - 03 and help other families decide.

Rate Canistota Middle School - 03

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Canistota Middle School - 03

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Canistota Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	431 4th Ave	Canistota	57012	McCook County	Canistota School District 43-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 296-3458	68	4	17.1	26.5%	60 (88.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.4%)	1 (1.5%)	4 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43.2	95^th of 151 public middle schools	37.1%		47.3	142^nd of 246 public middle schools	42.3%	47	31.3	55.2	40.0	44.6	25.0	58.6	30.0	41.5	35.0	$12,552	$00	$12,552
Montrose Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	309 S Church Ave	Montrose	57048	McCook County	Montrose School District 43-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 363-5025	53	4	12.2	22.6%	49 (92.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	72.7	29^th of 151 public middle schools	80.8%		80.6	23^rd of 246 public middle schools	90.7%	6	57.9	56.3	76.9	62.5	36.8	56.3	84.6	56.3	53.8	$14,480	$132	$14,348
McCook Central Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	200 E Essex	Salem	57058	McCook County	McCook Central School District 43-7	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 425-2264	84	6	13.2	26.2%	76 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.8%)	34	110^th of 151 public middle schools	27.2%		41.2	166^th of 246 public middle schools	32.5%	56	44.8	41.7	50.0	45.8	31.0	37.5	20.0	28.9	36.7	$13,092	$51	$13,041
Marion Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	100 S Cedar St	Marion	57043	Turner County	Marion School District 60-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 648-3615	46	4	11.7	52.2%	38 (82.6%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (10.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (6.5%)	43.9	91^st of 151 public middle schools	39.7%		62.6	85^th of 246 public middle schools	65.4%	6	27.3		57.1	44.1	45.5		50.0	53.0	21.4	$14,851	$36	$14,815
Parker Junior High - 03	Public	7-8	335 W 1st St	Parker	57053	Turner County	Parker School District 60-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 297-3456	74	5	15.7	31.1%	65 (87.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.7%)	54.8	72^nd of 151 public middle schools	52.3%		40.5	167^th of 246 public middle schools	32.1%	95		48.7	52.6	50.7		51.4	47.4	49.3	36.8	$10,419	$00	$10,419
Bridgewater-Emery Middle School - 04	Public	6-8	130 N 6th St	Emery	57332	Hanson County	Bridgewater-Emery 30-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 449-4271	85	6	13.4	25.9%	77 (90.6%)	1 (1.2%)	3 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.7%)	54.3	73^rd of 151 public middle schools	51.7%		67.9	63^rd of 246 public middle schools	74.4%	10	42.9	60.6	44.8	50.6	61.9	57.6	17.2	44.6	41.4	$13,117	$112	$13,005
West Central Middle School - 04	Public	6-8	705 E 2nd St	Hartford	57033	Minnehaha County	West Central School District 49-7	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 528-3799	297	20	15.0	13.8%	269 (90.6%)	3 (1.0%)	8 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.7%)	47.9	85^th of 151 public middle schools	43.7%		56.2	109^th of 246 public middle schools	55.7%	24	54.1	53.3	43.9	50.5	43.9	37.1	40.8	40.5	37.8	$11,327	$259	$11,068
Freeman Junior High - 05	Public	7-8	1001 S Wipf St	Freeman	57029	Hutchinson County	Freeman School District 33-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 925-4214	49	3	15.1	38.8%	40 (81.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.0%)	64.7	52^nd of 151 public middle schools	65.6%		73.1	42^nd of 246 public middle schools	82.9%	10		60.0	52.0	55.6		65.0	52.0	57.8	36.0	$12,486	$00	$12,486

Frequently Asked Questions about Canistota Middle School - 03

What high school do graduates of Canistota Middle School - 03 attend?

Students who attend Canistota Middle School - 03 usually go on to attend Canistota High School - 01

Is Canistota Middle School - 03 a good school?

Canistota Middle School - 03 ranks 95^th of 151 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Canistota Middle School - 03?

Students at Canistota Middle School - 03 are 88% White, 6% American Indian, 4% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What district is Canistota Middle School - 03 in?

Canistota School District 43-1

How many students attend Canistota Middle School - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 68 students attended Canistota Middle School - 03.

Rate Canistota Middle School - 03!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SDSouth Dakota Middle School Rankings

SDSouth Dakota District Rankings

Schools in Canistota, SD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Canistota Middle School - 03!

Latest South Dakota data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewNov 6, 2026

2025–26 SD ACT & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewNov 6, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation rates (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

2025–26 immunization ratesOct 24, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Dakota Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.