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Castlewood Middle School - 03

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

Castlewood Middle School - 03 ranks 168 th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

168^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 32% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Castlewood Middle School - 03 is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Castlewood, South Dakota, with a total enrollment of 73 students. The school is part of the Castlewood School District 28-1, which is ranked 105 out of 147 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Castlewood Middle School - 03 has consistently underperformed compared to the state and district averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 39.48% of all students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 50.93% statewide and 55.05% in the Castlewood School District. Similarly, only 28.95% of students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 43.49% statewide and 43.26% in the district. The school also has a higher chronic absenteeism rate of 20.2%, compared to 8.4% in the district and 11.3% statewide.

While Castlewood Middle School - 03 faces significant challenges, it has some bright spots. The school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with strong results for Multi-racial and Foster Care students. However, the school's overall declining performance and underperformance compared to nearby schools, such as Hamlin Middle School - 02 and Watertown Middle School - 02, suggest the need for a comprehensive review of the school's instructional practices, support systems, and resource allocation to address these issues and improve outcomes for all students.

Students ?

18.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,116

Per pupil spending ?

18.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

310 E Harry St
Castlewood, SD 57223

(605) 793-2497

District: Castlewood School District 28-1

Students who attend Castlewood Middle School - 03 usually attend:

High:

Castlewood High School - 01

Feeder schools for Castlewood Middle School - 03:

Elementary:	Castlewood Elementary - 02
	Claremont Colony Elementary - 04

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.8%

Hispanic:

6.6%

Two or more races:

2.6%

See top rated South Dakota middle schools

Compare Castlewood Middle School - 03 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 29th percentile in 2015 → 32nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Dakota average (34% vs 47% meeting standards)

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

!Mathematics scores 15 pts below the South Dakota average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school34%

District avg48%

South Dakota avg47%

168^th of 246

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Bottom 32%▲ up 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

105^th of 147Castlewood School District 28-1 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
2025	40.5	168 of 246	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	81 of 147	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.5	49 of 150	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.7	75 of 143	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.7	103 of 145	29.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	76.2	23 of 149	84.6%	★★★★☆
2018	62.9	49 of 147	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	48.3	88 of 146	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.4	75 of 147	49.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	39.4	103 of 145	29.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	68.2	40 of 145	72.4%	★★★★☆
2012	76.3	13 of 146	91.1%	★★★★★
2011	57.4	73 of 140	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	70.8	33 of 139	76.3%	★★★★☆
2009	72.5	22 of 139	84.2%	★★★★☆
2008	68.6	33 of 136	75.7%	★★★★☆
2007	81.5	7 of 136	94.9%	★★★★★
2006	81.5	8 of 141	94.3%	★★★★★
2005	58.0	65 of 136	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2004	55.5	77 of 134	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2003	78.7	8 of 133	94.0%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	45.1	47 of 117	59.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	44.2	143 of 229	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.0	60 of 107	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	63.7	37 of 112	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.0	61 of 102	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	27.9	92 of 113	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	73.3	3 of 47	93.6%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	36.9	82 of 117	29.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	40.1	123 of 187	34.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	35.0	161 of 233	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.7	74 of 115	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.5	54 of 116	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.5	42 of 104	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.2	50 of 115	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.7	55 of 111	50.5%	★★★☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	32.4	12 of 17	29.4%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	74.1	12 of 115	89.6%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	25.5	177 of 181	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	35.3	174 of 230	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	40.5	90 of 132	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.5	50 of 136	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.8	81 of 132	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.5	116 of 136	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	68.2	34 of 136	75.0%	★★★★☆
2018	51.8	59 of 131	55.0%	★★★☆☆

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)

Foster Care (2025)94th percentile+62 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)90th percentile+58 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)60th percentile+28 vs school

Female (2025)38th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)34th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)31st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)30th percentile~ school

Migrant (2025)29th percentile~ school

White (2025)24th percentile-7 vs school

Special Education (2025)2nd percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts39%-11 vs state

Science33%-9 vs state

Mathematics29%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Castlewood Middle School - 03

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2025)		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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	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 5th Grade	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 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Castlewood Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	310 E Harry St	Castlewood	57223	Hamlin County	Castlewood School District 28-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 793-2497	76	4	18.2	18.4%	69 (90.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.6%)	40.5	168^th of 246 public middle schools	31.7%		48.1	81^st of 147 public middle schools	44.9%	87		28.0	48.2	41.7	39.5		36.0	33.3	16.7	29.0		33.3	$11,116	$121	$10,995
Estelline Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	708 Davis Ave	Estelline	57234	Hamlin County	Estelline School District 28-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 873-2201	60	4	13.9	36.7%	48 (80.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (15.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.0%)	43.2	160^th of 246 public middle schools	35.0%		52.4	71^st of 147 public middle schools	51.7%	89		26.3	50.0	19.1	30.4		42.1	56.3	33.3	42.9		28.6	$13,354	$674	$12,680
Watertown Intermediate School - 13	Public	5-6	601 11th St NE	Watertown	57201	Codington County	Watertown School District 14-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 882-6355	532	37	14.3	38.5%	423 (79.5%)	1 (0.2%)	46 (8.6%)	4 (0.8%)	18 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.5%)								(n/a)	61.6	55.6			58.5	47.2	48.1			47.7	50.4		$10,958	$410	$10,548
Hamlin Middle School - 02	Public	6-8	44577 188th St	Hayti	57241	Hamlin County	Hamlin School District 28-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 783-3644	198	10	19.0	30.3%	183 (92.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	66.7	70^th of 246 public middle schools	71.5%		63.4	45^th of 147 public middle schools	69.4%	25		47.8	59.3	52.1	52.6		62.7	57.4	52.1	57.2		37.0	$7,441	$40	$7,401
Watertown Middle School - 02	Public	7-8	1700 11th St NE	Watertown	57201	Codington County	Watertown School District 14-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 882-6370	575	39	14.8	35.0%	473 (82.3%)	2 (0.3%)	41 (7.1%)	2 (0.3%)	19 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.6%)	69	57^th of 246 public middle schools	76.8%		69.8	30^th of 147 public middle schools	79.6%	27			62.6	62.7	62.6			53.3	48.6	50.9		39.5	$10,878	$410	$10,468
Clear Lake Middle School - 04	Public	6-8	410 5th St W	Clear Lake	57226	Deuel County	Deuel School District 19-4	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 874-2162	104	6	16.4	26.0%	96 (92.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63.4	82^nd of 246 public middle schools	66.7%		74.8	27^th of 147 public middle schools	81.6%	55		39.0	53.3	41.2	43.8		63.4	50.0	44.1	53.3		61.8	$11,540	$00	$11,540
Waverly-South Shore Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	319 Mary Pl	Waverly	57201	Codington County	Waverly School District 14-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 886-9174	69	4	15.3	37.7%	66 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.9%)	41.8	164^th of 246 public middle schools	33.3%		22.4	122^nd of 147 public middle schools	17.0%	42		45.0	33.3	42.3	40.0		35.0	12.5	30.8	25.7		42.3	$12,273	$00	$12,273

Frequently Asked Questions about Castlewood Middle School - 03

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

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

What district is Castlewood Middle School - 03 in?

Castlewood School District 28-1

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

Students at Castlewood Middle School - 03 are 91% White, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Is Castlewood Middle School - 03 a good school?

Castlewood Middle School - 03 ranks 168^th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Castlewood Middle School - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 76 students attended Castlewood Middle School - 03.

Rate Castlewood Middle School - 03!

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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.