Highmore Jr. High - 03

Highmore Jr. High - 03, a very small 6-8 campus in Highmore, South Dakota, overseen by Highmore-Harrold School District 34-2, caters to 34 students, covering grades 7 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 82% leaner than the state mean of about 187.

Within Highmore-Harrold School District 34-2, which oversees 3 schools and 229 students, Highmore Jr. High - 03 is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Highmore Jr. High - 03 logs that 74% of the student body identifies as White; the rest comes out to 12% Native American, 6% Hispanic, 6% multiracial, 3% Asian. By comparison, Hyde County as a whole is about 86% White, so the school skews noticeably less White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Highmore Jr. High - 03 records 4 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 9.6:1. The state averages around 13.4:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 32% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Hyde County runs at roughly 73%, so the school's eligibility rate is below the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Highmore Jr. High - 03 tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 49.8% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 58.3%.

In the broader community, census data for Hyde County shows median household earnings sit near $73,472, 20% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 1% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Hyde County's 5 public schools (combined enrollment of about 619 students), Highmore Jr. High - 03 is one campus in the mix.

Highmore High School - 01 is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.0 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 2 other public schools. On composite proficiency, Highmore Jr. High - 03 comes 2nd of 4 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 53.0%.

The school occupies a rural site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Highmore Jr. High - 03 has shrank 17%, going from 41 students in 2018 to 34 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 85% to 74% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 9.6:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, members of the Highmore Jr. High - 03 community share and discuss open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.