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Timber Lake Middle School - 03

Public Grades 6-8
43rd
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools
Better than 83% of South Dakota middle schools
Summary

Timber Lake Middle School - 03 is a public middle school in Timber Lake, South Dakota, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 81 students. The school is part of the Timber Lake School District 20-3, which is ranked 15th out of 147 school districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Timber Lake Middle School - 03 consistently ranks among the top middle schools in South Dakota, with rankings ranging from 2nd to 43rd out of over 140 schools in recent years. The school's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments is exceptional, with students consistently scoring well above the state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 64.29% in ELA and 58.57% in Math, compared to the state averages of 50.93% and 43.49%, respectively. The school has also experienced a significant decrease in chronic absenteeism rates, from 20.8% in 2023-2024 to 5.4% in 2024-2025.

The school's high academic performance is likely supported by its relatively high per-student spending of $19,806 in the 2023-2024 school year, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has a low student-teacher ratio of 9.1, allowing for more personalized attention and support for students. Timber Lake Middle School - 03 stands out as an exceptional educational institution within the state of South Dakota, with a focus on equity, inclusion, and promoting regular attendance.

70
Students ?
8.3
Student/teacher ratio ?
$21,365
Per pupil spending ?
37.1%
Free/discounted lunch ?
 500 Main St
       Timber Lake, SD  57656

(605) 865-3654

District: Timber Lake School District 20-3


Students who attend Timber Lake Middle School - 03 usually attend:

High:    Timber Lake High School - 01

Feeder schools for Timber Lake Middle School - 03:

Elementary:    Timber Lake Elementary - 02
Racial breakdown:

American Indian:
51.4%
White:
47.1%
Hispanic:
1.4%
 See top rated South Dakota middle schools

 Compare Timber Lake Middle School - 03 to nearby middle schools!
At a glance
▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 68th percentile in 2015 → 83rd in 2025
Strengths
✓Test scores above the South Dakota average (58% vs 47% meeting standards)
✓Ranks in the top 17% of South Dakota middle schools
✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2015
Worth a look
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Science scores 13 pts below the South Dakota average
Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?
This school58%
District avg62%
South Dakota avg47%
43rd of 246
South Dakota public middle schools ?
Top 17%▲ up 15 pts since 2015
From top 32% (2015) to top 17% (2025)
See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
15th of 147Timber Lake School District 20-3 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

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankSouth Dakota percentileRating
202573.143 of 24682.5%★★★★☆
202485.412 of 14791.8%★★★★★
202388.06 of 15096.0%★★★★★
202264.943 of 14369.9%★★★★☆
202185.85 of 14596.6%★★★★★
201991.62 of 14998.7%★★★★★
201881.913 of 14791.2%★★★★★
201777.522 of 14684.9%★★★★☆
201667.933 of 14777.6%★★★★☆
201559.947 of 14567.6%★★★☆☆
201339.4115 of 14520.7%★☆☆☆☆
201225.6127 of 14613.0%★☆☆☆☆
201130.8117 of 14016.4%★☆☆☆☆
201048.196 of 13930.9%★★☆☆☆
200946.098 of 13929.5%★★☆☆☆
200852.281 of 13640.4%★★☆☆☆
200756.068 of 13650.0%★★★☆☆
200637.3117 of 14117.0%★☆☆☆☆
200543.1102 of 13625.0%★☆☆☆☆
200462.943 of 13467.9%★★★☆☆
200370.522 of 13383.5%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankSouth Dakota percentileRating
202563.563 of 22972.5%★★★★☆
202479.111 of 10789.7%★★★★★
202383.57 of 11293.8%★★★★★
202249.254 of 10247.1%★★☆☆☆
202181.66 of 11394.7%★★★★★
201993.42 of 10798.1%★★★★★

Homeless

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankSouth Dakota percentileRating
202577.52 of 2993.1%★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankSouth Dakota percentileRating
202572.119 of 18789.8%★★★★★
202496.71 of 6598.5%★★★★★
202393.82 of 7097.1%★★★★★
202194.01 of 6398.4%★★★★★
201996.91 of 7998.7%★★★★★
201885.74 of 7194.4%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankSouth Dakota percentileRating
202575.234 of 23385.4%★★★★☆
202481.013 of 11588.7%★★★★☆
202389.85 of 11695.7%★★★★★
202265.630 of 10471.2%★★★★☆
202185.68 of 11593.0%★★★★★
201979.415 of 11086.4%★★★★☆
201884.68 of 11192.8%★★★★★

Native American

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankSouth Dakota percentileRating
202580.65 of 11195.5%★★★★★
202499.71 of 3196.8%★★★★★
202399.81 of 2796.3%★★★★★
202282.11 of 2495.8%★★★★★
202197.41 of 2596.0%★★★★★
201999.91 of 2996.6%★★★★★
201897.71 of 3096.7%★★★★★

Special Education

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankSouth Dakota percentileRating
202549.875 of 18158.6%★★★☆☆

White

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankSouth Dakota percentileRating
202573.337 of 23083.9%★★★★☆
202484.810 of 13292.4%★★★★★
202395.61 of 13699.3%★★★★★
202273.820 of 13284.8%★★★★☆
202191.72 of 13698.5%★★★★★
201992.32 of 13698.5%★★★★★
201889.54 of 13196.9%★★★★★
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)
Native American (2025)95th percentile+13 vs school
Homeless (2025)93rd percentile+11 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2025)90th percentile+7 vs school
Male (2025)85th percentile+3 vs school
White (2025)84th percentile~ school
Female (2025)72nd percentile-10 vs school
Special Education (2025)59th percentile-24 vs school
By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?
English Language Arts64%+13 vs state
Mathematics59%+15 vs state
Science30%-13 vs state

★
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Frequently Asked Questions about Timber Lake Middle School - 03

In the 2024-25 school year, 70 students attended Timber Lake Middle School - 03.

Timber Lake Middle School - 03 ranks 43rd of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Timber Lake Middle School - 03 are 51% American Indian, 47% White, 1% Hispanic.

Students who attend Timber Lake Middle School - 03 usually go on to attend Timber Lake High School - 01


Rate Timber Lake Middle School - 03!



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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.




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