Is Simle Middle School a good school?

Simle Middle School ranks 14 th of 24 North Dakota middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Simle Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,047 students attended Simle Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of Simle Middle School?

Students at Simle Middle School are 79% White, 7% American Indian, 7% Two or more races, 3% Hispanic, 2% African American.

What high school do graduates of Simle Middle School attend?

Students who attend Simle Middle School usually go on to attend Legacy High School

Simle Middle School

Summary:

Simle Middle School is a public middle school in Bismarck, North Dakota, serving around 1,040 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Bismarck 1 School District, which is ranked 9th out of 20 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Simle Middle School has seen fluctuating statewide rankings, ranging from 14th to 21st out of 24-28 North Dakota middle schools, its academic performance has been relatively lower compared to the state and nearby schools like Mandan Middle School and Horizon Middle School. The school's proficiency rates in NDSA (North Dakota State Assessments) for Mathematics, Reading, and Science are generally lower than the Bismarck 1 district and the state averages, with particularly weak performance in 8th-grade Mathematics.

Additionally, Simle Middle School has a significantly higher percentage of White students (around 80%) compared to the state and nearby schools, indicating a racial imbalance. The school also has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (around 20%), suggesting socioeconomic challenges that may be contributing to the academic underperformance. Furthermore, Simle Middle School has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, from 8% in 2019-2020 to 20% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the nearby Wachter Middle School (23%) and Horizon Middle School (12%).

Detail:

Public 6-8

1218 Simle Dr
Bismarck, ND 58501

(701) 323-4600

District: Bismarck 1

SchoolDigger Rank:
14^th of 24 North Dakota Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,895

Students who attend Simle Middle School usually attend:

High:

Legacy High School

Feeder schools for Simle Middle School:

Elementary:	Pioneer Elementary School
	Rita Murphy Elementary School
	Robert Place Miller Elementary School
	Silver Ranch Elementary School
	More...
	Sunrise Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 1,047

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.2%

American Indian:

7.4%

Two or more races:

6.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 20.6%

See top rated North Dakota middle schools

Compare Simle Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Simle Middle School ranks worse than 58.3% of middle schools in North Dakota. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the Bismarck 1 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 46.52. (See more...)

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (79.2%), American Indian (7.4%), two or more races (6.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 20.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Simle Middle School is 14.2, which is the lowest among 4 middle schools in the Bismarck 1 School District! (See more...)

Compare Simle Middle School employs 73.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Simle Middle School is $11,895, which is the highest among 4 middle schools in the Bismarck 1 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Simle Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Simle Middle School 14^th of 24 North Dakota public middle schools. (See Simle Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Bismarck 1:

SchoolDigger ranks Bismarck 1 9^th of 20 North Dakota school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Simle Middle School?

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Rank History for Simle Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Simle Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2012	34.29	106^th	124	14.5%
2013	54.47	69^th	135	48.9%
2014	53.49	78^th	136	42.6%
2015	41.66	66^th	109	39.4%
2016	46.06	68^th	116	41.4%
2017	27.69	25^th	32	21.9%
2018	22.67	18^th	21	14.3%
2019	21.68	21^st	23	8.7%
2021	22.25	21^st	24	12.5%
2022	29.69	21^st	28	25.0%
2023	40.39	15^th	27	44.4%
2024	46.52	14^th	24	41.7%

See the entire list of North Dakota Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Simle Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	10.08	12^th	13	7.7%
2019	20.52	11^th	12	8.3%
2023	21.41	10^th	12	16.7%
2024	35.06	7^th	11	36.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Simle Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	16.89	15^th	17	11.8%
2019	27.24	13^th	17	23.5%
2021	40.51	11^th	17	35.3%
2022	51.11	12^th	19	36.8%
2023	70.43	8^th	20	60.0%
2024	67.33	5^th	19	73.7%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Simle Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	15.87	2^nd	2	0.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Simle Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	24.14	14^th	17	17.6%
2019	24.04	16^th	18	11.1%
2021	12.83	17^th	18	5.6%
2022	31.42	16^th	20	20.0%
2023	43.18	11^th	20	45.0%
2024	58.67	9^th	19	52.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Simle Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	ND State Percentile
2018	17.81	16^th	18	11.1%
2019	14.47	20^th	21	4.8%
2021	21.89	20^th	22	9.1%
2022	26.98	20^th	25	20.0%
2023	35.62	16^th	25	36.0%
2024	42.74	14^th	23	39.1%

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

Data source: test scores: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, 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: North Dakota Department of Public Instruction

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Enrollment information for Simle Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	710	0	8	4	12	n/a	n/a	734
1989	717	1	3	6	15	n/a	n/a	742
1990	665	0	6	3	20	n/a	n/a	694
1991	682	0	3	1	21	n/a	n/a	707
1992	667	1	0	3	18	n/a	n/a	689
1993	714	0	0	1	16	n/a	n/a	731
1994	808	1	2	2	22	n/a	n/a	835
1995	922	3	3	3	49	n/a	n/a	980
1996	922	3	3	3	49	n/a	n/a	980
1997	884	1	6	8	40	n/a	n/a	939
1998	884	0	2	4	44	n/a	n/a	934
1999	835	5	1	3	50	n/a	n/a	894
2000	815	4	2	8	54	n/a	n/a	883
2001	786	4	2	9	60	n/a	n/a	861
2002	725	3	5	6	50	n/a	n/a	789
2003	725	3	5	6	50	n/a	n/a	789
2004	728	4	3	8	56	n/a	n/a	799
2005	746	4	4	9	57	n/a	n/a	820
2006	780	2	3	12	59	n/a	n/a	856
2007	775	5	6	7	58	n/a	n/a	851
2008	775	14	6	10	54	n/a	n/a	859
2009	733	16	8	8	55	n/a	n/a	820
2010	759	17	8	12	51	n/a	n/a	847
2011	747	17	4	0	80	0	19	867
2012	751	15	1	14	59	0	9	849
2013	759	12	2	22	66	1	12	874
2014	716	16	4	21	53	2	8	820
2015	748	24	3	19	62	1	12	869
2016	793	34	3	30	68	3	16	947
2017	856	24	3	35	72	3	29	1022
2018	856	31	4	23	63	5	28	1010
2019	878	30	4	25	59	3	46	1045
2020	847	43	3	24	74	4	52	1047
2021	847	40	4	31	68	4	65	1059
2022	829	33	3	31	64	5	60	1025
2023	836	22	6	36	65	6	69	1040
2024	829	24	8	32	77	8	69	1047

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 Simle Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	734	35.2	20.8	n/a
1989	742	34.4	21.5	n/a
1990	694	31.7	21.8	n/a
1991	707	31.7	22.3	n/a
1992	689	27.3	25.2	11.3
1993	731	34.8	21.0	12.2
1994	835	38.4	21.7	11.9
1995	980	50.2	19.5	14.4
1996	980	50.2	19.5	14.4
1997	939	61.3	15.3	13.2
1998	934	56.8	16.4	14
1999	894	56.0	16.0	11.9
2000	883	55.8	15.8	19.4
2001	861	54.5	15.8	19.7
2002	789	52.4	15.1	19.8
2003	789	52.4	15.1	19.8
2004	799	53.8	14.9	21.4
2005	820	53.5	15.3	25.7
2006	856	46.1	18.6	22.2
2007	851	60.2	14.1	23.4
2008	859	58.7	14.6	24.6
2009	820	63.5	12.9	24.6
2010	847	62.8	13.4	25
2011	867	65.4	13.2	27.6
2012	849	68.6	12.3	25.6
2013	874	71.4	12.2	25.9
2014	820	58.8	13.9	22.8
2015	869	59.0	14.7	21.7
2016	947	61.0	15.5	22.4
2017	1022	60.8	16.8	20.6
2018	1010	60.8	16.6	19.6
2019	1045	66.5	15.7	20.1
2020	1047	68.0	15.3	23.4
2021	1059	69.0	15.3	17.8
2022	1025	71.1	14.4	12.2
2023	1040	73.7	14.1	19.9
2024	1047	73.7	14.2	20.6

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 Simle Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	734	35.2	20.8	n/a
1989	742	34.4	21.5	n/a
1990	694	31.7	21.8	n/a
1991	707	31.7	22.3	n/a
1992	689	27.3	25.2	11.3
1993	731	34.8	21.0	12.2
1994	835	38.4	21.7	11.9
1995	980	50.2	19.5	14.4
1996	980	50.2	19.5	14.4
1997	939	61.3	15.3	13.2
1998	934	56.8	16.4	14
1999	894	56.0	16.0	11.9
2000	883	55.8	15.8	19.4
2001	861	54.5	15.8	19.7
2002	789	52.4	15.1	19.8
2003	789	52.4	15.1	19.8
2004	799	53.8	14.9	21.4
2005	820	53.5	15.3	25.7
2006	856	46.1	18.6	22.2
2007	851	60.2	14.1	23.4
2008	859	58.7	14.6	24.6
2009	820	63.5	12.9	24.6
2010	847	62.8	13.4	25
2011	867	65.4	13.2	27.6
2012	849	68.6	12.3	25.6
2013	874	71.4	12.2	25.9
2014	820	58.8	13.9	22.8
2015	869	59.0	14.7	21.7
2016	947	61.0	15.5	22.4
2017	1022	60.8	16.8	20.6
2018	1010	60.8	16.6	19.6
2019	1045	66.5	15.7	20.1
2020	1047	68.0	15.3	23.4
2021	1059	69.0	15.3	17.8
2022	1025	71.1	14.4	12.2
2023	1040	73.7	14.1	19.9
2024	1047	73.7	14.2	20.6

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 Simle Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$439 (4.5%)	$9,217 (95.5%)	$9,656
2020	$422 (4.1%)	$9,904 (95.9%)	$10,327
2021	$1,116 (10.0%)	$10,060 (90.0%)	$11,176
2022	$1,330 (11.2%)	$10,565 (88.8%)	$11,895

Data source: North Dakota Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Simle Middle School

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 21^st of 23 Middle schools	Ranks 15^th of 27 Middle schools	35.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Simle Middle School)	48	37	11%
6th Grade Mathematics (Bismarck 1)	47	43	4%
6th Grade Mathematics (North Dakota)	47	41	6%
6th Grade Reading (Simle Middle School)	43	50	7%
6th Grade Reading (Bismarck 1)	51	55	4%
6th Grade Reading (North Dakota)	49	50	1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Simle Middle School)	35	47	12%
7th Grade Mathematics (Bismarck 1)	39	46	7%
7th Grade Mathematics (North Dakota)	40	38	2%
7th Grade Reading (Simle Middle School)	43	45	2%
7th Grade Reading (Bismarck 1)	49	50	1%
7th Grade Reading (North Dakota)	46	42	4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Simle Middle School)	43	34	9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Bismarck 1)	45	35	10%
8th Grade Mathematics (North Dakota)	47	35	12%
8th Grade Reading (Simle Middle School)	43	43
8th Grade Reading (Bismarck 1)	48	48
8th Grade Reading (North Dakota)	51	48	3%
8th Grade Science (Simle Middle School)	56	39	17%
8th Grade Science (Bismarck 1)	63	48	15%
8th Grade Science (North Dakota)	63	48	15%
All Grades Mathematics (Simle Middle School)	42	39	3%
All Grades Mathematics (Bismarck 1)	47	45	2%
All Grades Mathematics (North Dakota)	45	39	6%
All Grades Reading (Simle Middle School)	43	46	3%
All Grades Reading (Bismarck 1)	48	49	1%
All Grades Reading (North Dakota)	47	44	3%
All Grades Science (Simle Middle School)	56	39	17%
All Grades Science (Bismarck 1)	63	47	16%
All Grades Science (North Dakota)	62	45	17%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1045	1040	0.5%
African American	30	22	26.7%
American Indian	59	65	10.2%
Asian	4	6	50%
Hispanic	25	36	44%
Pacific Islander	3	6	100%
White	878	836	4.8%
Two or More Races	46	69	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	20.1%	19.9%	0.2%

Schools Near Simle Middle School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NDSA Mathematics (2024)				NDSA Reading (2024)				NDSA Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	NDSA Mathematics 6th Grade	NDSA Mathematics 7th Grade	NDSA Mathematics 8th Grade	NDSA Mathematics All Grades	NDSA Reading 6th Grade	NDSA Reading 7th Grade	NDSA Reading 8th Grade	NDSA Reading All Grades	NDSA Science 8th Grade	NDSA Science All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Simle Middle School	Public	6-8	1218 Simle Dr	Bismarck	58501	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 323-4600	1,047	74	14.2	20.6%	829 (79.2%)	24 (2.3%)	32 (3.1%)	8 (0.8%)	77 (7.4%)	8 (0.8%)	69 (6.6%)	46.5	14^th of 24 public middle schools	41.7%		40.4	15^th of 27 public middle schools	44.4%	1	43.0	47.0	30.0	41.0	55.0	48.0	49.0	51.0	31.0	31.0	$11,895	$1,330	$10,565
Bismarck Middle Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	6-8	128 Soo Line Dr	Bismarck	58501	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	Yes	No	(701) 323-4101	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)											$3,576	$1,544	$2,031
Wachter Middle School	Public	6-8	1107 S 7th St	Bismarck	58504	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 323-4650	1,007	67	15.0	31.7%	689 (68.4%)	21 (2.1%)	72 (7.1%)	7 (0.7%)	129 (12.8%)	7 (0.7%)	82 (8.1%)	75	6^th of 24 public middle schools	75.0%		71.8	7^th of 27 public middle schools	74.1%	1	34.0	52.0	49.0	45.0	48.0	61.0	59.0	56.0	62.0	62.0	$11,840	$1,247	$10,593
Horizon Middle School	Public	6-8	500 Ash Coulee Dr	Bismarck	58503	Burleigh County	Bismarck 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	No	(701) 323-4550	1,059	74	14.3	15.4%	866 (81.8%)	23 (2.2%)	36 (3.4%)	20 (1.9%)	36 (3.4%)	21 (2.0%)	57 (5.4%)	78.2	4^th of 24 public middle schools	83.3%		78.4	4^th of 27 public middle schools	85.2%		47.0	45.0	44.0	46.0	62.0	58.0	53.0	58.0	54.0	54.0	$11,434	$1,344	$10,090
Mandan Middle School	Public	6-8	2901 12th Ave NW	Mandan	58554	Morton County	Mandan 1	(n/a)	(n/a)	No	Yes	(701) 751-6502	954	61	15.6	31.3%	718 (75.3%)	41 (4.3%)	58 (6.1%)	6 (0.6%)	92 (9.6%)	5 (0.5%)	34 (3.6%)	61.3	8^th of 24 public middle schools	66.7%		36.1	18^th of 27 public middle schools	33.3%	10	42.0	37.0	38.0	39.0	52.0	49.0	56.0	53.0	55.0	55.0	$11,464	$485	$10,978

Simle Middle School

Simle Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Bismarck 1:

What do you think?

Rank History for Simle Middle School

Rank History for all students at Simle Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Simle Middle School

Rank History for Female students at Simle Middle School

Rank History for Military Connected students at Simle Middle School

Rank History for Male students at Simle Middle School

Rank History for White students at Simle Middle School

Enrollment information for Simle Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Simle Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio Simle Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Simle Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on Simle Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Simle Middle School