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Spearfish Middle School - 05

Q: Is Spearfish Middle School - 05 a good school?

Spearfish Middle School - 05 ranks 75 th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

75^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 70% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Spearfish Middle School - 05 is a public middle school serving 573 students in grades 6-8 in Spearfish, South Dakota, which is part of the Spearfish School District 40-2. The school consistently performs above the state average in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics, with 55.11% proficiency in ELA and 48.67% proficiency in Math in the 2024-2025 school year, compared to the state averages of 50.93% and 43.49% respectively.

While the school generally performs well across different student subgroups, it has seen a gradual increase in chronic absenteeism, from 15.0% in 2022-2023 to 20.2% in 2024-2025, which is an area of concern. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 11.97% in 2021-2022 to 16.93% in 2023-2024, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students. The school's spending per student has also increased from $7,710 in 2020-2021 to $9,680 in 2023-2024, suggesting a commitment to investing in student resources.

Compared to nearby schools, Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09 has significantly lower test scores and a lower statewide ranking, while Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02 and Lead-Deadwood Middle School - 02 outperform Spearfish Middle School - 05 in certain academic areas. However, Spearfish Middle School - 05's chronic absenteeism rate is still lower than some of these nearby schools.

545

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,139

Per pupil spending ?

17.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1600 N Canyon
Spearfish, SD 57783

(605) 717-1215

District: Spearfish School District 40-2

Students who attend Spearfish Middle School - 05 usually attend:

High:

Spearfish High School - 01

Feeder schools for Spearfish Middle School - 05:

Elementary:	Creekside Elementary - 07
	Mountain View Elementary - 08
	West Elementary - 03

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.3%

Hispanic:

4.8%

Two or more races:

4.0%

See top rated South Dakota middle schools

Compare Spearfish Middle School - 05 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 72nd percentile in 2015 → 70th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the South Dakota median (70th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

District avg53%

South Dakota avg47%

75^th of 246

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Top 30%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Middle Schools in the Spearfish School District 40-2

75^th of 147Spearfish School District 40-2 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	66.1	75 of 246	69.5%	★★★★☆
2024	53.9	68 of 147	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.5	56 of 150	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.9	58 of 143	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.1	99 of 145	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.6	83 of 149	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.7	71 of 147	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.2	76 of 146	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.9	71 of 147	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.6	40 of 145	72.4%	★★★★☆
2013	59.4	66 of 145	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	65.2	49 of 146	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	64.6	52 of 140	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	57.1	70 of 139	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2009	61.1	57 of 139	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2008	62.6	50 of 136	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2007	57.9	65 of 136	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	55.8	72 of 141	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2005	48.6	93 of 136	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2004	59.1	61 of 134	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2003	60.0	49 of 133	63.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	22.3	41 of 47	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	8 of 39	79.5%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	44.8	48 of 117	59.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	61.4	75 of 229	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.3	65 of 107	39.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.9	52 of 112	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.5	45 of 102	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.9	77 of 113	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	53.5	54 of 107	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.2	44 of 99	55.6%	★★★☆☆

Foster Care

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	33.6	30 of 47	36.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	44.2	61 of 117	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	92.6	1 of 26	96.2%	★★★★★
2022	70.0	3 of 19	84.2%	★★★★☆
2021	37.5	14 of 23	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.5	14 of 17	17.6%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	56.3	7 of 29	75.9%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	45.8	100 of 187	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.2	27 of 65	58.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.8	23 of 70	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.7	14 of 46	69.6%	★★★★☆
2021	55.1	22 of 63	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	38.2	52 of 79	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.0	37 of 71	47.9%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	65.1	61 of 233	73.8%	★★★★☆
2024	56.7	45 of 115	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.0	42 of 116	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.5	47 of 104	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.6	79 of 115	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.0	69 of 110	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.6	58 of 111	47.7%	★★☆☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	57.2	11 of 32	65.6%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	46.8	61 of 115	47.0%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	49.8	42 of 111	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	65.0	7 of 30	76.7%	★★★★☆

Pacific Islander

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	27.5	12 of 16	25.0%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	57.2	48 of 181	73.5%	★★★★☆
2024	37.9	18 of 29	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.2	19 of 27	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	26.8	22 of 25	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.2	28 of 32	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	63.5	73 of 230	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.2	78 of 132	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.9	60 of 136	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.2	67 of 132	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.2	107 of 136	21.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.0	88 of 136	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.3	79 of 131	39.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Asian (2025)79th percentile+10 vs school

Homeless (2025)76th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)74th percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2025)73rd percentile+4 vs school

White (2025)68th percentile~ school

Female (2025)67th percentile~ school

Military Connected (2025)66th percentile-4 vs school

Native American (2025)62nd percentile-7 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)59th percentile-11 vs school

Hispanic (2025)48th percentile-22 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)47th percentile-23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)47th percentile-23 vs school

Foster Care (2025)36th percentile-33 vs school

Pacific Islander (2025)25th percentile-45 vs school

African American (2025)13th percentile-57 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts55%+4 vs state

Mathematics49%+5 vs state

Science48%+5 vs state

★

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Schools Near Spearfish Middle School - 05

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 5th Grade	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 5th Grade	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 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Spearfish Middle School - 05	Public	6-8	1600 N Canyon	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Spearfish School District 40-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 717-1215	545	37	14.8	17.8%	476 (87.3%)	3 (0.6%)	26 (4.8%)	7 (1.3%)	9 (1.7%)	2 (0.4%)	22 (4.0%)	66.1	75^th of 246 public middle schools	69.5%		53.9	68^th of 147 public middle schools	53.7%	7		55.8	58.9	50.8	55.1		52.1	48.9	45.4	48.7		47.5		$10,139	$231	$9,908
Spearfish Academy at Canyon Hills Elementary - 09	Public	4-8	2519 Windmill Dr	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Spearfish School District 40-2	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 717-1229	2	3	.7		1 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7.7	238^th of 246 public middle schools	3.3%					(n/a)				0.0					0.0			0.0
Black Hills Academy at Canyon Hills - 08	Public	4-8	2519 Windmill Dr	Spearfish	57783	Lawrence County	Black Hills Special Services Cooperative	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 347-4467	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Belle Fourche Middle School - 07	Public	5-8	1302 Ziebach St	Belle Fourche	57717	Butte County	Belle Fourche School District 09-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 723-3367	414	31	13.5	45.2%	347 (83.8%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (5.1%)	57.8	100^th of 246 public middle schools	59.3%		43	94^th of 147 public middle schools	36.1%	6	38.3	48.0	58.4	53.6	49.2	32.7	41.8	38.6	40.5	38.2	38.3	39.3	38.7	$11,596	$853	$10,743
Lead-Deadwood Middle School - 02	Public	6-8	234 S Main St	Lead	57754	Lawrence County	Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 717-3898	139	15	9.5	25.2%	111 (79.9%)	1 (0.7%)	12 (8.6%)	1 (0.7%)	6 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.8%)	47.6	140^th of 246 public middle schools	43.1%		55.7	64^th of 147 public middle schools	56.5%	76		37.5	42.0	51.2	43.2		35.4	36.0	39.0	36.7		34.2		$19,579	$489	$19,090
Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02	Public	5-8	1425 Cedar St	Sturgis	57785	Meade County	Meade School District 46-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 347-5232	490	34	14.5	43.1%	418 (85.3%)	2 (0.4%)	27 (5.5%)	4 (0.8%)	15 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.9%)	55.5	110^th of 246 public middle schools	55.3%		52.2	73^rd of 147 public middle schools	50.3%	37	49.0	60.9	46.1	50.0	51.4	34.6	51.3	32.8	28.1	36.4	42.3	42.2	42.2	$10,578	$214	$10,364

Frequently Asked Questions about Spearfish Middle School - 05

What is the racial makeup of Spearfish Middle School - 05?

Students at Spearfish Middle School - 05 are 87% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% American Indian, 1% Asian.

What district is Spearfish Middle School - 05 in?

Spearfish School District 40-2

Is Spearfish Middle School - 05 a good school?

Spearfish Middle School - 05 ranks 75^th of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Spearfish Middle School - 05 attend?

Students who attend Spearfish Middle School - 05 usually go on to attend Spearfish High School - 01

How many students attend Spearfish Middle School - 05?

In the 2024-25 school year, 545 students attended Spearfish Middle School - 05.

Rate Spearfish Middle School - 05!

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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.