Enrollment
270
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Huntsville, AL
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010180002478
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #1 of 11
- middle schools in Huntsville · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.9:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 18.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School ranks #1 of 11 middle schools in Huntsville, AL.
School address
District: Huntsville City · Alabama
NCES ID 010180002478 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School is a lower-poverty, small middle school in Huntsville, Alabama, enrolling 270 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.8% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 270 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 17 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #4.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and White (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 270 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Huntsville's middle schools, it stands alongside Monrovia Middle School (988 students): Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 19.8:1).
Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students) and Huntsville High School (1,807 students) alongside Academy for Academics and Arts 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 Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School compares
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.8% | ▼ 68% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 270 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
270
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 27% in Alabama - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,033
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 270 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.0 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
African American 53.7%
White 25.6%
Two or More 10.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Asian 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 53.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.8, Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Huntsville City, which includes Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School.
$12,033
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 39.2%
Federal 17.2%
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 Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgil Grissom High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huntsville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Providence Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goldsmithschiffman Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,847
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,807
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,152
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle schools in Huntsville
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Monrovia Middle School
Standard public school
988 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Williams Middle School
Standard public school
659 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Whitesburg Middle School
Standard public school
535 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Huntsville Junior High School
Standard public school
530 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Challenger Middle School
Standard public school
425 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Morris Middle School
Standard public school
397 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~270 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Huntsville City'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 Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School
How many students attend Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School?
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School has 270 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Huntsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School is 15.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School?
18.8% of students at Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School is African American at 53.7% of enrollment, in Huntsville, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School?
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School rank among middle schools in Huntsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School ranks #1 of 11 middle schools in Huntsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Huntsville on the city page.
Is Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School a good school?
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama 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 Huntsville City?
Besides Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School, Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students), Huntsville High School (1,807 students), and Providence Elementary (1,152 students). See the Huntsville City 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.