Welcome to South Middle School, home of the Spartans. The original South Middle School was built in 1932 as a junior high. It was a neighborhood school located in the middle of the city. After extensive remodeling, South became a middle school with grades 7-8 in 1995. After the flood of 1997, South Middle School was rebuilt in 1999 at the southern edge of Grand Forks. In the fall of 1999, South became a middle school with grades 6-7-8. There are four elementary schools that feed into South: Century, Ben Franklin, Discovery, and Viking elementary schools. 

South Middle School is known for its rich tradition and strong South Spartan pride...once a South Spartan, always a South Spartan. Respectful behavior is taught, modeled, and reinforced through the school’s “Above the Line” expectations that reflect the six pillars of character. In May 2019, our school was certified in Marzano High-Reliability Schools Level 1 - Safe, Supportive, and Collaborative Culture.

South Middle School was designed to support the middle school concept, both philosophically and structurally. The “school within a school” concept is reflected in the design of the building. The three academic houses are located on the east side of the building. Each grade or house is comprised of two teams. Team names reflect the United States space program: Comets 6, Auroras 6, Rockets 6, Challenger 7, Discovery 7, Explorer 8, and Voyageur 8. The allied arts team is called Super Nova. The music and physical education classes are located on the west side of the building. In the middle of the building are located the shared areas, i.e, media center, cafetorium (cafeteria and auditorium), and allied arts suite. 

The middle school day starts at 8:40 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m., with band and orchestra classes scheduled during the “zero” period from 7:50-8:30 a.m. Teachers also meet daily with an advisory group of students (10-13) called Prime Time. This advisory period meets for the first 20 minutes of every day and follows a daily schedule. 

If you are planning on moving to Grand Forks, please look around our website, as you will find plenty of information to answer questions you may have about our school. If you have any additional questions, please call the main office at (701) 746-2345 and we will gladly assist you in any way we can.

Vision: We provide diverse and meaningful experiences for all learners in a safe and supportive environment by fostering curiosity, inquiry, and innovation. We grow and learn together by embracing change and taking risks.

Mission: Every Learner, Every Day.

Beliefs: We imagine a school in which ALL learners find joy in coming to school every day in a caring and personalized learning environment embedded with critical thinking, communication, citizenship, and empathy.