Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 57701

The 57701 zip code area of Rapid City, South Dakota is home to two middle schools, South Middle School - 36 and North Middle School - 35, both part of the Rapid City Area School District 51-4. While South Middle School - 36 is ranked 176 out of 246 South Dakota middle schools, North Middle School - 35 is ranked 209, with both schools receiving a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The performance gap between the two schools is evident in their test scores, with South Middle School - 36 having higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to North Middle School - 35, which struggles with particularly low proficiency rates. Additionally, North Middle School - 35 has a 100% free and reduced-price lunch rate, indicating a high-poverty student population, while South Middle School - 36 has a 44.02% free and reduced-price lunch rate.

Both schools face challenges, such as high chronic absenteeism rates exceeding the state average, and similar spending per student and student-teacher ratios, suggesting that factors beyond funding and resources may be contributing to the performance differences. The overall low performance of both schools presents an opportunity for the district to implement targeted strategies and interventions to improve student outcomes and close the achievement gap.