South Dakota schools ranked by test score
Latest SD Smarter Balanced year (2024-25). 142 schools with reported English Language Arts scores. State average: 50.4%.
| Rank | School | Level | English Language Arts | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | Watertown Intermediate School - 13 Watertown · Watertown School District 14-4 | Middle | 58.7% | +8.3pp |
| 52 | Mitchell Middle School - 02 Mitchell · Mitchell School District 17-2 | Middle | 58.3% | +7.9pp |
| 53 | Viborg-Hurley Middle School - 03 Hurley · Viborg-Hurley School District 60-6 | Middle | 58.3% | +7.9pp |
| 54 | Platte - Geddes Jr. High - 03 Platte · Platte - Geddes School District 11-5 | Middle | 58.2% | +7.8pp |
| 55 | Georgia Morse Middle School - 02 Pierre · Pierre School District 32-2 | Middle | 57.9% | +7.5pp |
| 56 | Freeman Jr High - 05 Freeman · Freeman School District 33-1 | Middle | 57.8% | +7.4pp |
| 57 | Harrisburg East Middle School - 11 Sioux Falls · Harrisburg School District 41-2 | Middle | 57.8% | +7.4pp |
| 58 | Arlington Jr. High - 03 Arlington · Arlington School District 38-1 | Middle | 57.5% | +7.1pp |
| 59 | Yankton Middle School - 02 Yankton · Yankton School District 63-3 | Middle | 57.2% | +6.8pp |
| 60 | Burke Middle School - 04 Burke · Burke School District 26-2 | Middle | 56.7% | +6.3pp |
| 61 | Groton Area Middle School - 04 Groton · Groton Area School District 06-6 | Middle | 56.6% | +6.2pp |
| 62 | Hill City Middle School - 04 Hill City · Hill City School District 51-2 | Middle | 56.3% | +5.9pp |
| 63 | Corsica-Stickney Jr. High - 03 Corsica · Corsica-Stickney 21-3 | Middle | 56.0% | +5.6pp |
| 64 | Spearfish Middle School - 05 Spearfish · Spearfish School District 40-2 | Middle | 55.9% | +5.5pp |
| 65 | Hermosa Middle School - 07 Hermosa · Custer School District 16-1 | Middle | 55.8% | +5.4pp |
| 66 | Tea Area Middle School - 02 Tea · Tea Area School District 41-5 | Middle | 55.3% | +4.9pp |
| 67 | Garretson Middle School - 03 Garretson · Garretson School District 49-4 | Middle | 55.1% | +4.7pp |
| 68 | Edison Middle School - 06 Sioux Falls · Sioux Falls School District 49-5 | Middle | 54.7% | +4.3pp |
| 69 | Hot Springs Middle School - 06 Hot Springs · Hot Springs School District 23-2 | Middle | 54.6% | +4.2pp |
| 70 | Hamlin Middle School - 02 Hayti · Hamlin School District 28-3 | Middle | 53.9% | +3.5pp |
| 71 | New Underwood Middle School - 04 New Underwood · New Underwood School District 51-3 | Middle | 53.5% | +3.1pp |
| 72 | Sanborn Central Middle School - 02 Forestburg · Sanborn Central School District 55-5 | Middle | 52.9% | +2.5pp |
| 73 | Kimball Middle School - 04 Kimball · Kimball School District 07-2 | Middle | 52.2% | +1.8pp |
| 74 | Philip Jr. High - 03 Philip · Haakon School District 27-1 | Middle | 52.2% | +1.8pp |
| 75 | Sturgis Williams Middle School - 02 Sturgis · Meade School District 46-1 | Middle | 51.7% | +1.3pp |
| 76 | Tri-Valley Intermediate School - 03 Colton · Tri-Valley School District 49-6 | Middle | 51.6% | +1.2pp |
| 77 | Armour Middle School - 03 Armour · Armour School District 21-1 | Middle | 51.0% | +0.6pp |
| 78 | Chamberlain Jr. High - 02 Chamberlain · Chamberlain School District 07-1 | Middle | 50.5% | +0.1pp |
| 79 | West Middle School - 37 Rapid City · Rapid City Area School District 51-4 | Middle | 50.4% | +0.0pp |
| 80 | Stagebarn Middle School - 10 Summerset · Meade School District 46-1 | Middle | 50.2% | -0.2pp |
| 81 | George S. Mickelson Middle School - 02 Brookings · Brookings School District 05-1 | Middle | 50.1% | -0.3pp |
| 82 | Avon Middle School - 05 Avon · Avon School District 04-1 | Middle | 50.0% | -0.4pp |
| 83 | Bon Homme Middle School - 02 Tyndall · Bon Homme School District 04-2 | Middle | 50.0% | -0.4pp |
| 84 | Menno Middle School - 05 Menno · Menno School District 33-2 | Middle | 50.0% | -0.4pp |
| 85 | Newell Middle School - 04 Newell · Newell School District 09-2 | Middle | 50.0% | -0.4pp |
| 86 | Parkston Middle School - 05 Parkston · Parkston School District 33-3 | Middle | 50.0% | -0.4pp |
| 87 | Huron Middle School - 02 Huron · Huron School District 02-2 | Middle | 49.8% | -0.6pp |
| 88 | Belle Fourche Middle School - 07 Belle Fourche · Belle Fourche School District 09-1 | Middle | 49.5% | -0.9pp |
| 89 | Stanley County Middle School - 02 Fort Pierre · Stanley County School District 57-1 | Middle | 49.0% | -1.4pp |
| 90 | Marion Middle School - 03 Marion · Marion School District 60-3 | Middle | 48.9% | -1.5pp |
| 91 | Beresford Middle School - 03 Beresford · Beresford School District 61-2 | Middle | 48.0% | -2.4pp |
| 92 | Plankinton Middle School - 03 Plankinton · Plankinton School District 01-1 | Middle | 47.7% | -2.7pp |
| 93 | West Central Middle School - 04 Hartford · West Central School District 49-7 | Middle | 46.9% | -3.5pp |
| 94 | Douglas Middle School - 01 Box Elder · Douglas School District 51-1 | Middle | 46.4% | -4.0pp |
| 95 | Simmons Middle School - 03 Aberdeen · Aberdeen School District 06-1 | Middle | 46.4% | -4.0pp |
| 96 | Lyman Middle School - 02 Presho · Lyman School District 42-1 | Middle | 46.3% | -4.1pp |
| 97 | Alcester-Hudson Jr. High - 03 Alcester · Alcester-Hudson School District 61-1 | Middle | 46.2% | -4.2pp |
| 98 | Elk Point-Jefferson Middle School - 03 Elk Point · Elk Point-Jefferson School District 61-7 | Middle | 45.9% | -4.5pp |
| 99 | Deubrook Jr. High - 02 White · Deubrook Area School District 05-6 | Middle | 45.7% | -4.7pp |
| 100 | Britton-Hecla Middle School - 03 Britton · Britton-Hecla School District 45-4 | Middle | 45.3% | -5.1pp |
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About this ranking
Schools are ranked by the percentage of students who scored at or above the SD Smarter Balanced % Proficient threshold on the latest available SD Smarter Balanced English Language Arts test (school year 2024-25). A higher percentage is better.
Only public schools with a reasonable cohort size are included (at least 50 total students enrolled, since the source file does not include per-subject student counts), so very small programs and special-purpose centers are filtered out.
The state average shown above is enrollment-weighted: we multiply each school's score by how many of its students tested, sum those across every public school in South Dakota, and divide by the total students tested. This way a big school counts more than a tiny one in the typical-student average.