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Waubay Middle School - 03

Q: Is Waubay Middle School - 03 a good school?

Waubay Middle School - 03 ranks 171 st of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-8

171^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 246 South Dakota Middle Schools

Better than 30% of South Dakota middle schools

Summary

Waubay Middle School - 03 is a public middle school located in Waubay, South Dakota, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 27 students. The school is part of the Waubay School District 18-3, which is ranked 118 out of 147 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Waubay Middle School - 03 has consistently ranked in the bottom half of South Dakota middle schools, with a ranking between 120-171 out of 143-246 schools over the past several years. The school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with male students performing better than female students, and Native American students performing relatively better than other subgroups. However, the school's overall proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are significantly lower than the state averages. Additionally, the school has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.2% to 28.2% over the past few years.

In comparison, the nearby Florence Middle School - 03 and Webster Area Middle School - 02 both outperform Waubay Middle School - 03 in terms of statewide ranking, test scores, and other key metrics. The declining performance of Waubay Middle School - 03 over the years suggests the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes.

Students ?

8.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,495

Per pupil spending ?

62.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

202 W School Rd
Waubay, SD 57273

(605) 947-4529

District: Waubay School District 18-3

Students who attend Waubay Middle School - 03 usually attend:

High:

Waubay High School - 01

Feeder schools for Waubay Middle School - 03:

Elementary:

Waubay Elementary - 02

Racial breakdown:

White:

66.7%

American Indian:

25.0%

Hispanic:

4.2%

See top rated South Dakota middle schools

Compare Waubay Middle School - 03 to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 3rd percentile in 2022 → 30th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 30th (2025) from a 3rd-percentile low (2022)

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Dakota average (31% vs 47% meeting standards)

!Science scores 23 pts below the South Dakota average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school31%

District avg39%

South Dakota avg47%

171^st of 246

South Dakota public middle schools ?

Bottom 30%▼ down 28 pts since 2015

From top 41% (2015) to bottom 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Dakota Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

118^th of 147Waubay School District 18-3 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

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	38.1	171 of 246	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.1	124 of 147	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.5	130 of 150	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.5	139 of 143	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	120 of 145	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	25.3	123 of 146	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	39.3	109 of 147	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	54.7	60 of 145	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2013	55.8	74 of 145	49.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.2	58 of 146	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	43.5	96 of 140	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	24.9	124 of 139	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	23.3	127 of 141	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	51.1	85 of 136	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	51.9	86 of 134	35.8%	★★☆☆☆
2003	76.4	12 of 133	91.0%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	25.8	188 of 229	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	4.4	110 of 112	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	48.6	95 of 187	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	31.3	49 of 63	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	48.2	126 of 233	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.6	74 of 115	35.7%	★★☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	29.8	84 of 111	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	66.2	6 of 25	76.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	28.1	148 of 181	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Dakota percentile	Rating
2025	44.8	142 of 230	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.9	120 of 136	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.9	126 of 132	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)49th percentile+19 vs school

Male (2025)46th percentile+15 vs school

White (2025)38th percentile+8 vs school

Native American (2025)24th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2025)18th percentile-12 vs school

Female (2025)18th percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs South Dakota (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts35%-16 vs state

Mathematics35%-9 vs state

Science20%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Waubay Middle School - 03

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
Waubay Middle School - 03	Public	7-8	202 W School Rd	Waubay	57273	Day County	Waubay School District 18-3	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 947-4529	24	3	8.5	62.5%	16 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (25.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (4.2%)	38.1	171^st of 246 public middle schools	30.5%		21.1	124^th of 147 public middle schools	15.6%	47		50.0	26.7	34.8		37.5	33.3	34.8	20.0	$20,495	$217	$20,277
Webster Area Middle School - 02	Public	6-8	733 E 2nd St	Webster	57274	Day County	Webster Area School District 18-5	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 345-4651	108	8	14.1	25.9%	98 (90.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.7%)	69.6	52^nd of 246 public middle schools	78.9%		63.5	44^th of 147 public middle schools	70.1%	8	70.6	46.9	72.1	64.2	55.9	34.4	41.9	44.0	58.1	$12,217	$374	$11,843
Florence Middle School - 03	Public	6-8	515 Main Ave	Florence	57235	Codington County	Florence School District 14-1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 758-2412	71	4	19.1	32.4%	70 (98.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24.2	195^th of 246 public middle schools	20.7%		24.4	120^th of 147 public middle schools	18.4%	75	16.7	38.9	36.4	28.6	16.7	27.8	13.6	18.6	9.1	$10,890	$00	$10,890

Frequently Asked Questions about Waubay Middle School - 03

Is Waubay Middle School - 03 a good school?

Waubay Middle School - 03 ranks 171^st of 246 South Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waubay Middle School - 03?

In the 2024-25 school year, 24 students attended Waubay Middle School - 03.

What high school do graduates of Waubay Middle School - 03 attend?

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

What is the racial makeup of Waubay Middle School - 03?

Students at Waubay Middle School - 03 are 67% White, 25% American Indian, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What district is Waubay Middle School - 03 in?

Waubay School District 18-3

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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.