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Lake Preston Middle School - 03

Public Grades 6-8

9^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 96% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Lake Preston Middle School - 03 is a small public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the rural town of Lake Preston, South Dakota. With just 33 students, this school has consistently performed at the top of the state, ranking 9th out of 246 South Dakota middle schools in the 2024-2025 school year and earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

What sets this school apart is its strong academic performance across diverse student groups. In 2024-2025, Lake Preston Middle School - 03 ranked 8th out of 229 middle schools for female students, 25th out of 233 for male students, and an impressive 4th out of 117 for Hispanic students and 4th out of 115 for multi-racial students. This suggests the school is effectively meeting the needs of its diverse student population. However, the school has seen some fluctuations in chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 8.8% to 20.8%, indicating a need to closely monitor and address attendance issues.

Compared to nearby middle schools like Arlington Junior High - 03 and De Smet Middle School - 03, Lake Preston School District 38-3 invests significantly more per student, at $19,697 compared to $13,606 and $13,040, respectively. This investment appears to be paying off in the form of exceptional academic performance and a focus on equity and inclusion.

Students ?

8.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,050

Per pupil spending ?

39.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

300 1st St NE
Lake Preston, SD 57249

(605) 847-4455

District: Lake Preston School District 38-3

Students who attend Lake Preston Middle School - 03 usually attend:

High:

Lake Preston High School - 01

Feeder schools for Lake Preston Middle School - 03:

Elementary:

Lake Preston Elementary - 02

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.9%

Hispanic:

6.1%

Two or more races:

6.1%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2013 → 96th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (71% vs 47% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 4% of South Dakota middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 79 percentile points since 2013

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school71%

District avg71%

South Dakota avg47%

9^th of 246

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Top 4%▲ up 71 pts since 2015

From bottom 26% (2015) to top 4% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 147Lake Preston School District 38-3 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	86.4	9 of 246	96.3%	★★★★★
2024	89.0	7 of 147	95.2%	★★★★★
2023	36.1	102 of 150	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.4	68 of 143	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.1	84 of 145	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.5	96 of 149	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.2	55 of 147	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	39.2	110 of 147	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	36.7	108 of 145	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	35.2	120 of 145	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	72.0	20 of 146	86.3%	★★★★☆
2011	59.4	66 of 140	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	78.6	10 of 139	92.8%	★★★★★
2009	72.6	21 of 139	84.9%	★★★★☆
2008	63.9	42 of 136	69.1%	★★★★☆
2007	68.5	34 of 136	75.0%	★★★★☆
2006	73.9	18 of 141	87.2%	★★★★☆
2005	82.3	7 of 136	94.9%	★★★★★
2004	83.0	5 of 134	96.3%	★★★★★
2003	85.8	1 of 133	99.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	86.7	8 of 229	96.5%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	96.9	4 of 117	96.6%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	68.5	32 of 187	82.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	78.6	25 of 233	89.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	94.4	4 of 115	96.5%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	26.0	174 of 181	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	77.6	23 of 230	90.0%	★★★★★
2023	34.6	95 of 136	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	23.7	115 of 132	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.9	101 of 136	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.6	105 of 136	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	68.4	32 of 131	75.6%	★★★★☆

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)

Hispanic (2025)97th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)97th percentile~ school

Female (2025)97th percentile~ school

White (2025)90th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2025)89th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)83rd percentile-13 vs school

Special Education (2025)4th percentile-92 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts74%+23 vs state

Science70%+27 vs state

Mathematics68%+24 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lake Preston 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 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
Lake Preston Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	300 1st St NE	Lake Preston	57249	Kingsbury County	Lake Preston School District 38-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 847-4455	33	4	8.4	39.4%	29 (87.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (6.1%)	86.4	9^th of 246 public middle schools	96.3%		89	7^th of 147 public middle schools	95.2%	2	72.7	69.2	80.0	73.5	63.6	61.5	80.0	67.7	70.0	$20,050	$07	$20,044
De Smet Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	405 3rd St SW	De Smet	57231	Kingsbury County	De Smet School District 38-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 854-3423	91	6	16.3	25.3%	82 (90.1%)	2 (2.2%)	5 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.2%)	72.9	44^th of 246 public middle schools	82.1%		41.8	95^th of 147 public middle schools	35.4%	51	75.0	76.7	53.1	67.8	67.9	46.7	43.8	52.2	43.8	$12,660	$68	$12,592
Arlington Junior High - 03	Public	7-8	306 S Main St	Arlington	57212	Kingsbury County	Arlington School District 38-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 983-5598	47	3	18.1	19.1%	45 (95.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	77.1	29^th of 246 public middle schools	88.2%		88.2	9^th of 147 public middle schools	93.9%	20		54.5	57.7	56.3		77.3	65.4	70.8	53.9	$14,459	$27	$14,432

Frequently Asked Questions about Lake Preston Middle School - 03

What district is Lake Preston Middle School - 03 in?

Lake Preston School District 38-3

How many students attend Lake Preston Middle School - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 33 students attended Lake Preston Middle School - 03.

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

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

What is the racial makeup of Lake Preston Middle School - 03?

Students at Lake Preston Middle School - 03 are 88% White, 6% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

Is Lake Preston Middle School - 03 a good school?

Yes! Lake Preston Middle School - 03 is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 9^th of 246 South Dakota middle schools.

Rate Lake Preston 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.