Enrollment
576
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
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
👥 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
District: Searcy School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051221000986 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.7%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ahlf Junior High School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ahlf Junior High School
Ahlf Junior High School is a mid-sized middle school in Searcy, Arkansas, enrolling 576 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 576 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 227 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #94.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 236 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 144 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 576 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Searcy School District also operates Searcy High School (1,220 students) and Southwest Middle School (913 students) alongside Ahlf Junior High 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 Ahlf Junior High School compares
Ahlf Junior High School on the metrics families compare, against 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 (what these measure)
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
$10,738
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
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.
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 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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Searcy School District, which includes Ahlf Junior High School.
$10,738
Per student
-12%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 35.7%
Federal 21.9%
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 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
- Enrollment
- 1,220
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~576 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ahlf Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Ahlf Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Searcy School District'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 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.
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, counselor availability, attendance rates. 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.
Is Ahlf Junior High School a good school?
Ahlf Junior High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Arkansas 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 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.
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.