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Newell Middle School - 04

Q: Is Newell Middle School - 04 a good school?

Newell Middle School - 04 ranks 77 th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

77^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 69% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Newell Middle School - 04 is a public middle school in Newell, South Dakota, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 52 students. The school is part of the Newell School District 09-2, which is ranked 82 out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Newell Middle School - 04 has seen fluctuations in its statewide ranking, ranging from 61st out of 147 middle schools in 2023-2024 to 143rd out of 149 in 2018-2019. The school's performance has been consistently below the state average, with a 1-star rating in most years and a 3-star rating in the last two school years. The school has struggled with high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 15.2% to 20.8% in recent years, which is above the state average. Academically, the school has performed slightly below the state average in English Language Arts and Mathematics, with proficiency rates ranging from 30.77% to 56% and 29.23% to 47.82%, respectively.

Despite the increase in per-student spending, from $13,173 in 2020-2021 to $17,892 in 2023-2024, and the relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 9.9 to 11.7 in recent years, the school's academic performance has not shown a corresponding improvement. This suggests that factors beyond just funding and resources may be influencing the school's outcomes. Overall, Newell Middle School - 04 faces several challenges in maintaining consistent academic performance and addressing areas of concern, which may require targeted interventions and a comprehensive approach to drive sustainable improvements.

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,389

Per pupil spending ?

54.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

501 Dartmouth Ave
Newell, SD 57760

(605) 456-0102

District: Newell School District 09-2

Students who attend Newell Middle School - 04 usually attend:

High:

Newell High School - 01

Feeder schools for Newell Middle School - 04:

Elementary:

Newell Elementary - 02

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.6%

Hispanic:

4.2%

American Indian:

4.2%

See top rated South Dakota middle schools

Compare Newell Middle School - 04 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 17th percentile in 2015 → 69th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 52 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the South Dakota median (69th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school52%

District avg48%

South Dakota avg47%

77^th of 246

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Top 31%▲ up 51 pts since 2015

From bottom 17% (2015) to top 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

82^nd of 147Newell School District 09-2 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	65.2	77 of 246	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.5	61 of 147	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	21.9	126 of 150	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.4	111 of 143	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.0	130 of 145	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.8	143 of 149	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.4	139 of 147	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	15.5	132 of 146	9.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	23.3	130 of 147	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.2	120 of 145	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	39.8	114 of 145	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	52.9	82 of 146	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2011	58.8	68 of 140	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	48.7	92 of 139	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	56.1	72 of 139	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	34.8	115 of 136	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	50.7	92 of 136	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2006	63.7	48 of 141	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2005	57.5	67 of 136	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2004	79.5	10 of 134	92.5%	★★★★★
2003	65.4	36 of 133	72.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	21.2	44 of 47	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	62.6	70 of 229	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.2	51 of 107	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	23.6	100 of 112	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	6.7	100 of 107	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.9	91 of 99	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	18.0	114 of 117	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	72.1	20 of 187	89.3%	★★★★☆
2023	29.4	54 of 70	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.8	47 of 63	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.6	75 of 79	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	26.4	61 of 71	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	60.2	86 of 233	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	25.5	96 of 116	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.0	107 of 115	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.1	105 of 110	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.3	105 of 111	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	63.0	30 of 181	83.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	65.2	64 of 230	72.2%	★★★★☆
2024	52.6	64 of 132	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	16.1	130 of 136	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	22.0	118 of 132	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.5	130 of 136	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.4	135 of 136	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.8	130 of 131	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)89th percentile+21 vs school

Special Education (2025)83rd percentile+15 vs school

White (2025)72nd percentile+3 vs school

Female (2025)69th percentile~ school

Male (2025)63rd percentile-6 vs school

African American (2025)6th percentile-62 vs school

Hispanic (2025)3rd percentile-66 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

Science67%+24 vs state

English Language Arts50%~ state avg

Mathematics48%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Newell Middle School - 04

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
Newell Middle School - 04	Public	6-8	501 Dartmouth Ave	Newell	57760	Butte County	Newell School District 09-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 456-0102	48	4	11.4	54.2%	43 (89.6%)	1 (2.1%)	2 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65.2	77^th of 246 public middle schools	68.7%		56.5	61^st of 147 public middle schools	58.5%	16	42.9	57.2	50.0	50.0	28.6	57.1	55.6	47.8	66.7	$18,389	$996	$17,393

Frequently Asked Questions about Newell Middle School - 04

What district is Newell Middle School - 04 in?

Newell School District 09-2

What high school do graduates of Newell Middle School - 04 attend?

Students who attend Newell Middle School - 04 usually go on to attend Newell High School - 01

What is the racial makeup of Newell Middle School - 04?

Students at Newell Middle School - 04 are 90% White, 4% Hispanic, 4% American Indian, 2% African American.

How many students attend Newell Middle School - 04?

In the 2024-25 school year, 48 students attended Newell Middle School - 04.

Is Newell Middle School - 04 a good school?

Newell Middle School - 04 ranks 77^th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Newell Middle School - 04!

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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.