Summary:
The city of Lead, South Dakota is home to two schools: Lead-Deadwood High School and Lead-Deadwood Middle School, both part of the Lead-Deadwood School District 40-1. Based on the available data, the Lead-Deadwood Middle School appears to be the standout performer, with a higher statewide ranking, stronger test scores, and lower chronic absenteeism rates compared to the high school.
The middle school ranks 64th out of 147 South Dakota middle schools and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger. Its students demonstrate higher proficiency in English Language Arts (ELA) across all grades, with 52.17% proficient or better, compared to 58.49% proficiency in 11th grade at the high school. The middle school also has a lower chronic absenteeism rate of 14.2% versus the high school.
While the high school boasts a strong 92.5% four-year graduation rate and a low 0.4% dropout rate, its academic performance lags behind the middle school and the state averages, particularly in math and science. The difference in free and reduced lunch rates between the two schools (37.11% at the middle school vs. 19.82% at the high school) may be a contributing factor to the academic performance gap. Additionally, the middle school's higher per-student spending and lower student-teacher ratios could be supporting its stronger outcomes.
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