Garretson Middle School - 03

Garretson Middle School - 03, a tight-knit intermediate school in Garretson, South Dakota, part of Garretson School District 49-4, educates 105 students, covering grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 44% leaner than the state mean of about 187.

Garretson School District 49-4 runs 3 schools in total, collectively educating 493 students. Garretson Middle School - 03 is one of those campuses.

On demographics, Garretson Middle School - 03 shows that the student body is overwhelmingly White (84%); the rest breaks down as 9% multiracial, 5% Hispanic, 3% Native American.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Garretson Middle School - 03 has 8 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 13.2:1. The state averages about 13.4:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 19% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Minnehaha County (around 42%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

With demographic context factored in, Garretson Middle School - 03 performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 55.2%, the actual is 46.5%, a residual of -8.7 points.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Minnehaha County) shows that the typical household earns roughly $76,880 per year, 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Minnehaha County runs 83 public schools (combined enrollment of about 34,919 students), of which Garretson Middle School - 03 is one.

Nearest neighbor: Garretson High School - 01, around 0.0 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around Garretson Middle School - 03. Among the 6 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Garretson Middle School - 03 ranks 5th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 60.0%.

The campus sits in a low-density setting.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Garretson Middle School - 03 has shrank 7%, going from 113 students in 2018 to 105 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 93% to 84% over that span. Class-load math has narrowed: from 15.3:1 in 2018 to 13.2:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.