Middle school (grades 6-8) · Searcy, AR

Ahlf Junior High School

Federal NCES profile for Ahlf Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 051221000986
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10045/100
👥 S:T ratio
56
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
53
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Ahlf Junior High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Arkansas schools.

#6 of 8
public schools in Searcy · Resource Index
45
Resource Index · Typical
11.1:1
small classes for Arkansas
33.7%
free-lunch eligible

Ahlf Junior High School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Arkansas schools. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Ahlf Junior High School ranks #6 of 8 public schools in Searcy, AR.

School address

Searcy, AR 72143
District: Searcy School District · Arkansas

NCES ID 051221000986 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-64 students YoY

Ahlf Junior High School shrank from 682 students in 2022-23 to 618 in 2023-24 (-9.4%).

Teacher FTE lost 52.2 → 47.5 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-64 students YoY 051221000986 · Searcy, AR Middle · MID · TRAD

576 enr · 11.1:1 · 33.7% lunch · RII 45

Nearest enrollment peer: Searcy High School (1,220 students)

Ahlf Junior High School shrank from 682 students in 2022-23 to 618 in 2023-24 (-9.4%). Teacher FTE lost 52.2 → 47.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Arkansas schools → · Find another →

Ahlf Junior High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Ahlf Junior High School reports 576 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Ahlf Junior High School compares

Ahlf Junior High School is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Arkansas and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Arkansas Arkansas avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 11.1:1 ▼ 18% 13.6:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 33.7% ▼ 43% 59.2% 51.7%
Enrollment 576 top 22% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
576
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
33.7%
free-lunch eligible - 43% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.1:1
students per teacher - 18% below state mean
Top 28% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.3%
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
$10,718
per pupil, district-wide - below Arkansas avg of $12,818
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.4 FTE
Per 236 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
112
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 69.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.8%
African American 8.9%
Two or More 8.2%
Asian 2.1%

Largest group: White at 69.1% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 49.4/100

Simpson diversity index - at 49.4, Ahlf Junior High School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Searcy School District reports $10,718 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Ahlf Junior High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Searcy High School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Southwest Middle School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Mcrae Elementary School Similar size Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Sidney Deener Elem. School Smaller Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Westside Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Ahlf Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Searcy School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~576 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.1:1)

Frequently asked questions about Ahlf Junior High School

How many students attend Ahlf Junior High School?

Ahlf Junior High School has 576 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Searcy, AR. CCD year-over-year: 682 (2022-23) → 618 (2023-24), down 64.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ahlf Junior High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Ahlf Junior High School is 11.1:1, which is 18% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 29% lower 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 Ahlf Junior High School?

33.7% of students at Ahlf Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ahlf Junior High School?

The largest demographic group at Ahlf Junior High School is White at 69.1% of enrollment, in Searcy, AR.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Ahlf Junior High School?

Ahlf Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Ahlf Junior High School rank among public schools in Searcy?

By Resource Investment Index, Ahlf Junior High School ranks #6 of 8 public schools in Searcy, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Searcy on the city page.

What other schools are in Searcy School District?

Besides Ahlf Junior High School, Searcy School District also operates Searcy High School (1,220 students), Southwest Middle School (913 students), and Mcrae Elementary School (445 students). See the Searcy School District district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .