Colome Middle School - 03

Colome Middle School - 03 is a middle-grades school of very small scale in Colome, South Dakota, one of the schools within Colome School District 59-3, enrolling 32 students in grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 83% leaner than the state mean of about 187.

Across the 3 schools in Colome School District 59-3 (135 students total), Colome Middle School - 03 accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

Looking at the student body, Colome Middle School - 03 lists that 59% of the student body identifies as White; the rest is composed of 28% Native American, 13% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 80% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Colome Middle School - 03 lists 4 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 8.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.4:1, putting Colome Middle School - 03 tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 75% of students at Colome Middle School - 03 qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Tripp County runs at roughly 44%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

With demographic context factored in, Colome Middle School - 03 sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 32.3%; this one delivers 41.5%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Tripp County put the typical household earns roughly $58,987 per year, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 15% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Colome Middle School - 03 is one of 6 public schools in Tripp County (combined enrollment of about 962 students).

The closest other public school is Colome High School - 01, roughly 0.0 miles away. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Colome Middle School - 03 comes 4th of 6 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 41.3%.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Colome Middle School - 03 has ticked down 37%, going from 51 students in 2018 to 32 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 86% to 59% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio narrowed from 9.6:1 in 2018 to 8.2:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.