McLaughlin Middle School - 03

McLaughlin Middle School - 03 is a public middle school in McLaughlin, South Dakota, serving 71 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the McLaughlin School District 15-2, which is ranked 145 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending and low student-to-teacher ratio, McLaughlin Middle School - 03 consistently ranks in the bottom 10% of South Dakota middle schools, with academic performance significantly below state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 14.1% of students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 50.93%, and just 7.69% were proficient in Mathematics, compared to the state average of 43.49%. When compared to the nearby Wakpala Middle School - 04, which is part of the Smee School District 15-3, McLaughlin Middle School - 03 performs significantly worse.

One interesting finding is the stark contrast in subgroup performance at McLaughlin Middle School - 03. While the school consistently struggles across most student subgroups, it performs exceptionally well in two areas: Asian students and English Language Learner (ELL) students, ranking 1st and 2nd, respectively, among South Dakota middle schools in 2024-2025. This suggests the school may be effectively supporting these specific student populations, while facing challenges in addressing the needs of other groups. Additionally, the school's consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.2% to 49.4% in recent years, are likely a major factor in its poor academic outcomes and should be a top priority for the school and district to address.