South Middle School - 36

South Middle School - 36, a roomy 6-8 campus in Rapid City, South Dakota, part of Rapid City Area School District 51-4, works with 618 students, covering grades 6 through 8. Enrollment runs roughly 230% bigger than the state mean of about 187.

Within Rapid City Area School District 51-4, which oversees 26 schools and 12,610 students, South Middle School - 36 is one campus in the system.

On demographics, South Middle School - 36 reports that 45% of students identify as White, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. The remainder looks like 23% Native American, 17% multiracial, 12% Hispanic. That is visibly less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 79%.

On the income-and-resources front, Staff filings list 45 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.7:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 13.4:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 61% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is north of Pennington County's rate of about 41%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, South Middle School - 36 sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 38.2%; this one delivers 30.4%.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Pennington County put median household income runs about $74,517, about 35% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across Pennington County's 41 public schools (combined enrollment of about 16,186 students), South Middle School - 36 is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is South Park Elementary - 16, roughly 0.3 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 5 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), South Middle School - 36 ranks 3rd on composite proficiency, behind the local average of 32.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Trend over the last 7 years. South Middle School - 36's enrollment has decreased 8% since 2018, when it stood at 672 (now 618). White enrollment moved from 59% to 45% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 15.6:1 in 2018 to 13.7:1 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.