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McLaughlin High School - 01

Public Grades 9-12

158^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 166 South Dakota High Schools

Better than 5% of South Dakota high schools

Summary

McLaughlin High School - 01 is a public high school in McLaughlin, South Dakota, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 147 students. The school is part of the McLaughlin School District 15-2, which is ranked 145 out of 147 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

McLaughlin High School - 01 has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing high schools in South Dakota, with rankings between 132 and 163 out of 133 to 166 high schools over the past decade. The school has maintained a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating very poor performance compared to other schools in the state. This poor performance is consistent across various student subgroups. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated between 60.4% and 86.4% over the past few years, which is significantly lower than the state average, and the dropout rate has ranged from 2.6% to 10.7%, which is higher than the state average.

Students at McLaughlin High School - 01 perform significantly below the state average in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. In the 2024-2025 school year, only 21.88% of students were proficient or better in ELA, 3.13% in Mathematics, and 9.38% in Science, compared to the state averages of 50.93%, 43.49%, and 43.63%, respectively. The school has a 100% free and reduced-price lunch rate, indicating a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, and spending per student has ranged from $17,169 to $22,665 over the past few years, which is higher than the state average.

155

Students ?

8.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,690

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

701 Main
Mc Laughlin, SD 57642

(605) 823-4484

District: McLaughlin School District 15-2

Feeder schools for McLaughlin High School - 01:

Elementary:	McLaughlin Elementary - 02
Middle:	McLaughlin Middle School - 03

Racial breakdown:

American Indian:

98.1%

Two or more races:

1.3%

Asian:

0.6%

See top rated South Dakota high schools

Compare McLaughlin High School - 01 to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 4th percentile in 2010 → 5th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Dakota average (11% vs 47% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (5th percentile)

!Graduation rate below the South Dakota average (76% vs 86%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school11%

District avg9%

South Dakota avg47%

158^th of 166

South Dakota public high schools ?

Bottom 5%▲ up 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 1% (2015) to bottom 5% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

145^th of 147McLaughlin School District 15-2 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	8.5	158 of 166	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.7	141 of 141	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.0	136 of 138	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	1.1	137 of 138	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	0.9	135 of 137	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	0.8	141 of 141	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	1.1	132 of 133	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	3.0	135 of 144	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	0.1	143 of 143	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2010	1.2	144 of 150	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	8.9	134 of 144	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	1.1	133 of 135	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	1.7	136 of 141	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	13.6	126 of 136	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	2.2	132 of 137	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	18.1	118 of 132	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	17.1	120 of 133	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	11.5	158 of 164	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.8	93 of 95	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	2.8	82 of 83	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	0.9	81 of 82	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	26.0	13 of 23	43.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	20.9	133 of 154	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	7.0	46 of 48	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	45 of 46	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.3	52 of 53	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	11.0	155 of 162	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.5	102 of 107	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	0.7	96 of 96	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.4	86 of 90	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	35.7	51 of 83	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	17.9	13 of 16	18.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.7	15 of 16	6.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.7	18 of 19	5.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	46.2	58 of 140	58.6%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2025)59th percentile+54 vs school

Foster Care (2025)43rd percentile+39 vs school

Native American (2025)39th percentile+34 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)14th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2025)4th percentile~ school

Female (2025)4th percentile~ school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts22%-29 vs state

Science9%-34 vs state

Mathematics3%-40 vs state

★

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Schools Near McLaughlin High School - 01

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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 12th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 12th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
McLaughlin High School - 01	Public	9-12	701 Main	Mc Laughlin	57642	Corson County	McLaughlin School District 15-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 823-4484	155	19	8.2	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	152 (98.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	8.5	158^th of 166 public high schools	4.8%		1.7	141^st of 141 public high schools	0.0%	17	22.2	20.0	21.9	3.7	0.0	3.1	11.1	9.4	$19,690	$1,663	$18,027
Wakpala High School - 01	Public	9-12	12250 SD Hwy 1806	Wakpala	57658	Corson County	Smee School District 15-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 845-3040	38	6	6.1	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.3%)	5	163^rd of 166 public high schools	1.8%		3.7	135^th of 141 public high schools	4.3%	28	22.2			0.0			11.1		$30,028	$3,337	$26,692

Frequently Asked Questions about McLaughlin High School - 01

What schools feed into McLaughlin High School - 01?

McLaughlin High School - 01 is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : McLaughlin Elementary - 02
Middle : McLaughlin Middle School - 03

What district is McLaughlin High School - 01 in?

McLaughlin School District 15-2

What is the racial makeup of McLaughlin High School - 01?

Students at McLaughlin High School - 01 are 98% American Indian, 1% Two or more races.

Is McLaughlin High School - 01 a good school?

McLaughlin High School - 01 ranks in the bottom 4.8% of South Dakota high schools.

How many students attend McLaughlin High School - 01?

In the 2024-25 school year, 155 students attended McLaughlin High School - 01.

Rate McLaughlin High School - 01!

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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.