Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its South Dakota rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Newell Middle School - 04

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

Newell Middle School - 04 ranks 109 th of 151 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

109^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 151 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 28% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Newell Middle School - 04 serves 48 students in grades 6–8 in Newell, South Dakota; there are no other schools listed within 20 miles. Its results are mixed: the latest science score is strong, while current math is a concern. Most importantly, math proficiency fell sharply in 2025–2026, leaving the school well below the state.

In 2025–2026, math proficiency was 33%, 11 percentage points below the state and 1 point above the Newell School District 09-2. ELA was 46%, 3 points below the state and 2 points above the district. The latest science result, from 2024–2025, was a stronger 67%, compared with 43% statewide and the same result in the district. Chronic absenteeism is another concern: it reached 26% in 2025–2026, above the state’s 20% and the district’s 17%. No nearby-school results are available for comparison.

Over time, science proficiency climbed from 26% in 2022–2023 to 67% in 2024–2025, while ELA rose from 31% to 46% between 2022–2023 and 2025–2026. Math, by contrast, dropped 14 percentage points from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, reversing its previous position above the state. SchoolDigger’s overall ranking also fell from the 69th percentile and 3 stars in 2024–2025 to the 28th percentile and 1 star in 2025–2026. Its statewide subgroup rankings varied: SchoolDigger placed the school at the 89th percentile for serving students with low socioeconomic status in 2024–2025, compared with the 69th percentile overall; its ranking for serving Hispanic students was at the 3rd percentile that year. The school’s 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 11.4, and 54% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that year.

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,389

Per pupil spending ?

54.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

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 — 12th percentile in 2016 → 28th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 16 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Dakota average (38% vs 46% meeting standards)

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

!Science scores 14 pts below the South Dakota average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg38%

South Dakota avg46%

109^th of 151

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Bottom 28%▲ up 16 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

110^th of 126Newell 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
2026	34.1	109 of 151	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	30.7	101 of 133	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
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

Female (2025)69th percentile~ school

Male (2025)63rd percentile-6 vs school

White (2026)24th percentile-4 vs school

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

Hispanic (2025)3rd percentile-66 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts46%-3 vs state

Mathematics33%-10 vs state

Science27%-14 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Newell Middle School - 04 and help other families decide.

Rate Newell Middle School - 04

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Newell Middle School - 04

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2026)	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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	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%)	34.1	109^th of 151 public middle schools	27.8%		65.2	77^th of 246 public middle schools	68.7%	32	54.5	46.2	40.0	46.2	45.5	30.8	26.7	33.3	26.7	$18,389	$996	$17,393

Frequently Asked Questions about Newell Middle School - 04

Is Newell Middle School - 04 a good school?

Newell Middle School - 04 ranks 109^th of 151 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

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

How many students attend Newell Middle School - 04?

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

What district is Newell Middle School - 04 in?

Newell School District 09-2

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.

Rate Newell Middle School - 04!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SDSouth Dakota Middle School Rankings

SDSouth Dakota District Rankings

Schools in Newell, SD

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Newell Middle School - 04!

Latest South Dakota data All new data »

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewNov 6, 2026

2025–26 SD ACT & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewNov 6, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation rates (updated)NewNov 1, 2026

2025–26 immunization ratesOct 24, 2026

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.