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Schools in Zip Code 57461

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At a glance

Schools

282

Students

Top rankedNorthwestern Elementary - 0457^th of 203 South Dakota elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Northwestern Elementary - 04 up 76 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

ZIP code 57461 has three schools in the Northwestern Area School District 56-7, serving grades PK–12 and enrolling 282 students altogether. The clearest overall finding is that current academic results are strongest at Northwestern Elementary, while Northwestern High School is below state proficiency in each of its three reported subjects.

Northwestern Elementary leads the comparable elementary–middle results: its all-grades proficiency was 59% in ELA and 63% in math, compared with 49% and 42% at Northwestern Middle School—gaps of 10 and 22 points. Elementary was 10 points above the state in ELA and 20 points above in math; middle was essentially level with the state in ELA and 2 points below in math. High school results were 42% in ELA, 20% in math, and 33% in science, respectively 7, 14, and 12 points below state results. SchoolDigger’s 2025–2026 ratings also put elementary highest at 4 stars (57th of 203 schools), middle at 2 stars (84th of 151), and high school at 1 star (115th of 130).

Recent score changes show different trajectories: elementary ELA rose 5 points and math 16 points from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026, while middle ELA fell 17 points and math fell 6. SchoolDigger’s percentile rankings likewise shifted: high school went from the 88th percentile in 2024–2025 to the 12th in 2025–2026, middle from the 80th to the 44th, while elementary moved from the 56th to the 72nd. Class-size context varies: student–teacher ratios were 14 at elementary, 12.5 at middle, and 11.8 at high school in 2024–2025. That year’s free/reduced lunch eligible shares were 19%, 16%, and 14%, respectively; these figures are context, not an explanation for results. Small school populations mean scores can shift noticeably from year to year.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SD ACT English Language Arts (2026)	SD ACT Mathematics (2026)	SD ACT Science (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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	SD ACT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SD ACT Mathematics 11th Grade	SD ACT Science 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	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 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	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	Vaccination: Kindergartners immunized against measles (MMR)	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwestern High School - 01	Public	9-12	221 3rd St	Mellette	57461	Spink County	Northwestern Area School District 56-7	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 887-3467	91	8	11.8	14.3%	87 (95.6%)	1 (1.1%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	19.6	115^th of 130 public high schools	11.5%		80.9	20^th of 166 public high schools	88.0%	95	41.7	20.0	33.3																			$14,315	$71	$14,244
Northwestern Elementary - 04	Public	PK, KG-5	221 3rd St	Mellette	57461	Spink County	Northwestern Area School District 56-7	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(605) 887-3467	135	10	14.0	19.3%	121 (89.6%)	1 (0.7%)	5 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.9%)	68.3	57^th of 203 public elementary schools	71.9%		58.7	133^rd of 300 public elementary schools	55.7%	76				60.7	46.2	63.6				58.7	71.4	53.8	59.1				63.5	40.9		94.7%	5.3%	$12,642	$879	$11,763
Northwestern Middle School - 02	Public	6-8	221 3rd St	Mellette	57461	Spink County	Northwestern Area School District 56-7	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(605) 887-3467	56	4	12.5	16.1%	50 (89.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.8%)	48.2	84^th of 151 public middle schools	44.4%		71.4	48^th of 246 public middle schools	80.5%	36							35.7	45.0	58.1	49.2				35.7	55.0	35.5	41.5		38.7			$12,403	$101	$12,302

Cities Near Zip Code 57461

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Mellette	1.11 mi	3	106^th
Warner	11.36 mi	3	2^nd
Stratford	14.95 mi	1	188^th
Redfield	19.08 mi	5	69^th
Aberdeen	19.6 mi	12	92^nd

See the top SD South Dakota cities

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.