Wakpala Middle School - 04

Wakpala Middle School - 04 operates as a micro-enrollment middle school in Wakpala, South Dakota, part of Smee School District 15-3. Current enrollment sits at 41 students spanning grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 187 students per school, that is 78% smaller than typical.

Smee School District 15-3 comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 174 students; Wakpala Middle School - 04 is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, Wakpala Middle School - 04 shows that 93% of students identify as Native American, making the school strongly Native American-majority; the rest consists of 2% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% multiracial.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Wakpala Middle School - 04 lists 4 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 10.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.4:1, putting Wakpala Middle School - 04 tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 100% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Wakpala Middle School - 04 performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 22.1%, the actual is 22.7%, a residual of +0.7 points.

Around the school, ACS estimates for Corson County put the typical household earns roughly $46,406 per year, roughly 19% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 34%. In all, Corson County runs 11 public schools (combined enrollment of about 858 students), of which Wakpala Middle School - 04 is one.

The closest other public school is Wakpala Elementary - 02, roughly 0.0 miles away. 2 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), Wakpala Middle School - 04 ranks 5th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 45.4%.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 20%: 51 students in 2018 compared to 41 in 2025. Class-load math has pulled in: from 13.2:1 in 2018 to 10.3:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, 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.