Enrollment
722
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Alma, AR
Alma Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Alma Middle 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 050225000005
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alma Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Alma · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- students per teacher
- 35.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Alma Middle School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alma Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Alma, AR.
School address
District: Alma School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 050225000005 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.1%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alma Middle School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alma Middle School
Alma Middle School is a large middle school in Alma, Arkansas, enrolling 722 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 722 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 195 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #73.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 370 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 232 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 722 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Alma School District also operates Alma High School (981 students) and Alma Primary School (704 students) alongside Alma 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 Alma Middle School compares
Alma Middle 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 12% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.1% | ▼ 41% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 722 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
722
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
12:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 34% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.5%
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
$10,790
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
Counselors1.9 FTE
Per 370 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
178
in-school suspensions + 54 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.1 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 82.4%
Two or More 8.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 82.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.1, Alma Middle School is less mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alma School District, which includes Alma Middle School.
$10,790
Per student
-12%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.5%
State 57.2%
Federal 17.4%
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 Alma Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alma High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alma Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alma Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alma Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 981
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 685
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~722 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alma Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Alma Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Alma 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 Alma Middle School
How many students attend Alma Middle School?
Alma Middle School has 722 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Alma, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alma Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Alma Middle School is 12:1, which is 12% lower than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 24% 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 Alma Middle School?
35.1% of students at Alma Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alma Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Alma Middle School is White at 82.4% of enrollment, in Alma, AR.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alma Middle School?
Alma Middle 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 Alma Middle School rank among public schools in Alma?
By Resource Investment Index, Alma Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Alma, 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 Alma on the city page.
Is Alma Middle School a good school?
Alma Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. 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 Alma School District?
Besides Alma Middle School, Alma School District also operates Alma High School (981 students), Alma Primary School (704 students), and Alma Intermediate School (685 students). See the Alma 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.