Enrollment
385
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Alachua, FL
A. L. Mebane Middle School
Federal NCES profile for A. L. Mebane Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120003000018
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
A. L. Mebane Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Alachua · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 27.5:1
- large classes for Florida
- 57.5%
- free-lunch eligible
A. L. Mebane Middle School has class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, A. L. Mebane Middle School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Alachua, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
27.5:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How A. L. Mebane Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at A. L. Mebane Middle School
A. L. Mebane Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Alachua, Florida, enrolling 385 students.
Class loads run heavy: 27.5:1 is larger than about 95% of Florida schools and 54% above the 17.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.5% lands close to the Florida typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 385 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 503 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #468, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 385 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students) and Gainesville High School (1,825 students) alongside A. L. Mebane Middle School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How A. L. Mebane Middle School compares
A. L. Mebane Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 27.5:1 | ▲ 54% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.5% | ▲ 11% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 385 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
27.5:1
Leaner classes than 3% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
385
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
27.5:1
students per teacher
- 54% above state mean
Top 95% in Florida - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
36.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$10,805
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 385 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 43.1%
African American 30.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 3.1%
Largest group: White at 43.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, A. L. Mebane Middle School is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alachua, which includes A. L. Mebane Middle School.
$10,805
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.3%
State 36.3%
Federal 19.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How A. L. Mebane Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| F. W. Buchholz High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gainesville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastside High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Santa Fe High School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Kanapaha Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to A. L. Mebane Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,416
- Students per teacher
- 30.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,825
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,291
- Students per teacher
- 30.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,132
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,014
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~385 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on A. L. Mebane Middle School's federal record.
- Compare A. L. Mebane Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Alachua's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about A. L. Mebane Middle School
How many students attend A. L. Mebane Middle School?
A. L. Mebane Middle School has 385 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Alachua, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at A. L. Mebane Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at A. L. Mebane Middle School is 27.5:1, which is 54% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 75% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at A. L. Mebane Middle School?
57.5% of students at A. L. Mebane Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of A. L. Mebane Middle School?
The largest demographic group at A. L. Mebane Middle School is White at 43.1% of enrollment, in Alachua, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for A. L. Mebane Middle School?
A. L. Mebane Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does A. L. Mebane Middle School rank among public schools in Alachua?
By Resource Investment Index, A. L. Mebane Middle School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Alachua, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Alachua on the city page.
Is A. L. Mebane Middle School a good school?
A. L. Mebane Middle School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Florida schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Alachua?
Besides A. L. Mebane Middle School, Alachua also operates F. W. Buchholz High School (2,416 students), Gainesville High School (1,825 students), and Eastside High School (1,291 students). See the Alachua district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.