Is Salina South Middle a good school?

Salina South Middle ranks 156 th of 362 Kansas middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Salina South Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 782 students attended Salina South Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Salina South Middle?

Students at Salina South Middle are 52% White, 35% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of Salina South Middle attend?

Students who attend Salina South Middle usually go on to attend Salina High South

Salina South Middle

Summary:

Salina South Middle is a public middle school in Salina, Kansas, serving 811 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Salina school district, which is ranked 178 out of 266 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Salina South Middle's performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in KAP (Kansas Assessment Program) tests, is generally below the Salina district and Kansas state averages across all grades and subjects. The school's proficiency rates in the 2023-2024 school year were around 29.6% in English Language Arts, 27.75% in Mathematics, and 20.22% in Science, compared to the Salina district averages of 30.58%, 28.48%, and 30.32%, respectively. The school's performance is particularly low in 8th grade, where proficiency rates are around 20-27% across the tested subjects, significantly below the Salina and Kansas averages.

Interestingly, Salina South Middle's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups. The school performs relatively well for African American students, ranking in the top 25 out of 72 Kansas middle schools in this category in recent years. However, the school struggles with Asian and disabled student populations, ranking in the bottom 25 out of all Kansas middle schools for these subgroups. In comparison, Smoky Valley Middle School, located about 16 miles away in the Smoky Valley district, outperforms Salina South Middle in most academic areas, with higher proficiency rates and a higher statewide ranking.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2015 Simmons
Salina, KS 67401

(785) 309-3900

District: Salina

SchoolDigger Rank:
156^th of 362 Kansas Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,944

Students who attend Salina South Middle usually attend:

High:

Salina High South

Feeder schools for Salina South Middle:

Elementary:	Coronado Elementary
	Schilling Elementary
	Stewart Elementary
	Sunset Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 13.3

Number of students: 782

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.5%

Hispanic:

34.5%

Two or more races:

9.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.9%

See top rated Kansas middle schools

Compare Salina South Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Salina South Middle ranks better than 56.9% of middle schools in Kansas. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.09. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (51.5%), Hispanic (34.5%), two or more races (9.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Salina South Middle is 13.3. (See more...)

Compare Salina South Middle employs 58.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Salina South Middle is $9,944.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Salina South Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Salina South Middle 156^th of 362 Kansas public middle schools. (See Salina South Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Salina:

SchoolDigger ranks Salina 178^th of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Salina South Middle

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Rank History for all students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2006	56.19	127^th	277	54.2%
2007	50.14	163^rd	286	43.0%
2008	57.71	139^th	296	53.0%
2009	58.85	133^rd	307	56.7%
2010	63.90	102^nd	316	67.7%
2011	59.71	145^th	320	54.7%
2012	64.22	131^st	342	61.7%
2013	58.98	172^nd	355	51.5%
2015	45.92	196^th	368	46.7%
2016	44.89	184^th	343	46.4%
2017	48.29	171^st	358	52.2%
2018	44.14	187^th	350	46.6%
2019	43.73	201^st	368	45.4%
2021	37.74	236^th	367	35.7%
2022	38.94	221^st	368	39.9%
2023	50.62	143^rd	362	60.5%
2024	49.09	156^th	362	56.9%

See the entire list of Kansas Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	30.46	48^th	64	25.0%
2019	30.64	55^th	70	21.4%
2021	48.24	37^th	79	53.2%
2022	62.15	23^rd	83	72.3%
2023	78.80	13^th	90	85.6%
2024	62.89	24^th	88	72.7%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	39.26	37^th	60	38.3%
2019	31.09	51^st	58	12.1%
2021	40.83	28^th	56	50.0%
2022	68.25	5^th	60	91.7%
2023	74.14	4^th	62	93.5%
2024	42.39	30^th	65	53.8%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	46.73	60^th	132	54.5%
2019	31.31	121^st	157	22.9%
2021	28.06	130^th	160	18.8%
2022	36.63	104^th	171	39.2%
2023	39.86	92^nd	178	48.3%
2024	45.71	79^th	164	51.8%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	56.05	83^rd	255	67.5%
2019	47.59	131^st	270	51.5%
2021	41.55	158^th	275	42.5%
2022	51.22	109^th	270	59.6%
2023	51.98	112^th	300	62.7%
2024	50.51	117^th	296	60.5%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	44.72	143^rd	275	48.0%
2019	42.75	165^th	294	43.9%
2021	40.96	179^th	313	42.8%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	46.73	60^th	132	54.5%
2019	31.31	121^st	157	22.9%
2021	28.06	130^th	160	18.8%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	60.70	14^th	39	64.1%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	36.01	14^th	19	26.3%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	42.02	151^st	280	46.1%
2019	43.07	167^th	301	44.5%
2021	36.61	209^th	308	32.1%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2019	31.27	22^nd	30	26.7%
2021	24.40	23^rd	30	23.3%
2022	25.63	24^th	31	22.6%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2019	51.74	32^nd	69	53.6%
2021	77.42	7^th	65	89.2%
2022	53.50	25^th	72	65.3%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	37.17	70^th	114	38.6%
2019	38.52	76^th	128	40.6%
2021	47.99	61^st	135	54.8%
2022	45.79	56^th	138	59.4%
2023	52.11	56^th	140	60.0%
2024	45.79	67^th	144	53.5%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Salina South Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	KS State Percentile
2018	51.20	136^th	333	59.2%
2019	52.19	141^st	344	59.0%
2021	38.50	219^th	349	37.2%
2022	39.28	210^th	349	39.8%
2023	53.64	136^th	349	61.0%
2024	58.92	102^nd	347	70.6%

See the entire list of Best Kansas Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Kansas State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Kansas State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Salina South Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	459	10	8	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	485
1989	452	13	11	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	483
1990	473	8	10	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	503
1991	504	15	16	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	548
1992	496	16	26	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	552
1993	520	21	28	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	591
1994	518	17	26	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	589
1995	572	27	33	41	4	n/a	n/a	0	677
1996	572	27	33	41	4	n/a	n/a	0	677
1997	554	31	42	49	2	n/a	n/a	0	678
1998	530	22	26	42	4	n/a	n/a	0	624
1999	541	26	20	44	2	n/a	n/a	0	633
2000	556	21	23	52	2	n/a	n/a	0	654
2001	489	28	27	44	2	n/a	n/a	0	590
2002	534	25	17	66	7	n/a	n/a	0	649
2003	534	25	17	66	7	n/a	n/a	0	649
2004	719	31	33	94	4	n/a	n/a	46	927
2005	666	25	29	119	6	n/a	n/a	55	900
2006	647	41	28	106	4	n/a	n/a	38	864
2007	670	46	33	111	3	n/a	n/a	2	865
2008	658	54	41	96	4	n/a	n/a	2	855
2009	608	54	43	117	9	n/a	n/a	0	831
2010	567	29	32	149	5	0	52	0	834
2011	599	30	35	108	9	0	35	0	816
2012	608	47	40	100	13	2	14	0	824
2013	576	41	32	110	5	1	39	0	804
2014	531	36	25	154	2	0	53	0	801
2015	470	26	27	187	2	0	55	0	767
2016	480	18	26	188	2	0	65	0	779
2017	495	17	37	202	1	1	58	0	811
2018	510	14	32	200	0	0	56	0	812
2019	506	20	32	225	0	0	59	0	842
2020	494	22	40	237	0	0	68	0	861
2021	460	22	37	241	1	1	84	0	846
2022	449	22	31	252	1	1	78	0	834
2023	429	18	24	267	0	1	72	0	811
2024	403	15	22	270	1	0	71	0	782

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Salina South Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	485	29.0	16.7	0
1989	483	30.0	16.1	n/a
1990	503	32.0	15.7	0
1991	548	37.0	14.8	n/a
1992	552	37.5	14.7	25.4
1993	591	39.0	15.2	17.1
1994	589	40.8	14.4	17.3
1995	677	42.0	16.1	25.3
1996	677	42.0	16.1	25.3
1997	678	42.9	15.8	23.3
1998	624	41.7	15.0	28.4
1999	633	45.7	13.9	29.2
2000	654	45.5	14.4	34.3
2001	590	46.2	12.8	34.2
2002	649	45.9	14.1	36.2
2003	649	45.9	14.1	36.2
2004	927	63.2	14.7	42.5
2005	900	63.0	14.3	47.2
2006	864	63.5	13.6	45.6
2007	865	71.0	12.2	42.3
2008	855	71.9	11.9	42.4
2009	831	73.3	11.3	48
2010	834	62.9	13.2	49.4
2011	816	59.4	13.7	50.4
2012	824	63.8	12.9	55.7
2013	804	64.9	12.3	57.5
2014	801	63.4	12.6	58.8
2015	767	62.0	12.3	60.4
2016	779	61.0	12.7	59.8
2017	811	60.2	13.4	61.7
2018	812	56.3	14.4	60.1
2019	842	56.8	14.8	59.1
2020	861	56.1	15.3	58.8
2021	846	62.4	13.5	59.3
2022	834	64.5	12.9	62.8
2023	811	58.5	13.8	62.3
2024	782	58.6	13.3	61.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Salina South Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	485	29.0	16.7	0
1989	483	30.0	16.1	n/a
1990	503	32.0	15.7	0
1991	548	37.0	14.8	n/a
1992	552	37.5	14.7	25.4
1993	591	39.0	15.2	17.1
1994	589	40.8	14.4	17.3
1995	677	42.0	16.1	25.3
1996	677	42.0	16.1	25.3
1997	678	42.9	15.8	23.3
1998	624	41.7	15.0	28.4
1999	633	45.7	13.9	29.2
2000	654	45.5	14.4	34.3
2001	590	46.2	12.8	34.2
2002	649	45.9	14.1	36.2
2003	649	45.9	14.1	36.2
2004	927	63.2	14.7	42.5
2005	900	63.0	14.3	47.2
2006	864	63.5	13.6	45.6
2007	865	71.0	12.2	42.3
2008	855	71.9	11.9	42.4
2009	831	73.3	11.3	48
2010	834	62.9	13.2	49.4
2011	816	59.4	13.7	50.4
2012	824	63.8	12.9	55.7
2013	804	64.9	12.3	57.5
2014	801	63.4	12.6	58.8
2015	767	62.0	12.3	60.4
2016	779	61.0	12.7	59.8
2017	811	60.2	13.4	61.7
2018	812	56.3	14.4	60.1
2019	842	56.8	14.8	59.1
2020	861	56.1	15.3	58.8
2021	846	62.4	13.5	59.3
2022	834	64.5	12.9	62.8
2023	811	58.5	13.8	62.3
2024	782	58.6	13.3	61.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Salina South Middle

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$748 (7.5%)	$9,195 (92.5%)	$9,944

Data source: Kansas Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Salina South Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 201^st of 368 Middle schools	Ranks 143^rd of 362 Middle schools	15.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Salina South Middle)	39.2	32.2	7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Salina)	35.5	33.4	2.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	38.4	33.7	4.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Salina South Middle)	23.2	30.4	7.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Salina)	17.7	30.6	12.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	31.9	29.9	2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Salina South Middle)	28.2	29	0.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Salina)	29.1	28.1	1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	31.8	31.7	0%
7th Grade Mathematics (Salina South Middle)	24.7	21.9	2.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Salina)	21.4	23.9	2.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	27.9	27.5	0.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Salina South Middle)	20.9	25.9	5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Salina)	21.4	22.1	0.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)	25.2	20.8	4.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Salina South Middle)	26.5	32.9	6.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Salina)	22.8	25.3	2.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)	25.9	22.8	3.1%
8th Grade Science (Salina South Middle)	29.5	21.3	8.2%
8th Grade Science (Salina)	28.6	20.6	8%
8th Grade Science (Kansas)	30.7	22.7	8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	842	811	3.7%
African American	20	18	10%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	32	24	25%
Hispanic	225	267	18.7%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	506	429	15.2%
Two or More Races	59	72	22%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59.1%	62.3%	3.1%

Schools Near Salina South Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				KAP English Language Arts (2024)					KAP Mathematics (2024)					KAP Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	KAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 6th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 7th Grade	KAP English Language Arts 8th Grade	KAP English Language Arts All Grades	KAP Mathematics 5th Grade	KAP Mathematics 6th Grade	KAP Mathematics 7th Grade	KAP Mathematics 8th Grade	KAP Mathematics All Grades	KAP Science 5th Grade	KAP Science 8th Grade	KAP Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Salina South Middle	Public	6-8	2015 Simmons	Salina	67401	Saline County	Salina	No	No	No	No	(785) 309-3900	782	59	13.3	61.9%	403 (51.5%)	15 (1.9%)	270 (34.5%)	22 (2.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (9.1%)	49.1	156^th of 362 public middle schools	56.9%		50.6	143^rd of 362 public middle schools	60.5%	13		32.7	36.1	20.1	29.6		29.3	26.9	27.2	27.8		20.2	20.2	$9,944	$748	$9,195
Lakewood Middle School	Public	6-8	1135 Lakewood Cir	Salina	67401	Saline County	Salina	No	No	No	No	(785) 309-4000	676	54	12.4	66.4%	418 (61.8%)	31 (4.6%)	144 (21.3%)	8 (1.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	73 (10.8%)	41.9	194^th of 362 public middle schools	46.4%		42.3	198^th of 362 public middle schools	45.3%	4		26.1	27.9	22.8	25.6		21.9	27.5	22.3	24.0		22.2	22.2	$10,507	$788	$9,719
Smoky Valley Middle School	Public	5-8	401 N Cedar	Lindsborg	67456	McPherson County	Smoky Valley	No	No	No	No	(785) 227-4249	254	16	16.1	37.0%	229 (90.2%)	3 (1.2%)	16 (6.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.0%)	44.2	175^th of 362 public middle schools	51.7%		51	140^th of 362 public middle schools	61.3%	35	45.9	23.8	39.1	21.9	32.5	20.6	36.5	23.4	6.1	21.6	54.0	24.6	39.1	$9,563	$227	$9,335

Salina South Middle

Salina South Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Salina:

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Rank History for Salina South Middle

Rank History for all students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Special Education students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Female students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Military Connected students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Male students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Asian students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for African American students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for Hispanic students at Salina South Middle

Rank History for White students at Salina South Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for Salina South Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Salina South Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Salina South Middle

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