Enrollment
65
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Antonio, TX
Alternative Middle
Federal NCES profile for Alternative Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 78/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 483312007521
👥 S:T ratio 78
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alternative Middle earns 78/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Texas schools.
- #3 of 80
- middle schools in San Antonio · Resource Index
- 78
- Resource Index · Higher
- 5.4:1
- small classes for Texas
- 76.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Alternative Middle has class sizes smaller than 98% of Texas schools. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Alternative Middle ranks #3 of 80 middle schools in San Antonio, TX.
School address
District: Northside Isd · Texas
NCES ID 483312007521 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.4:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-63% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.7%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alternative Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alternative Middle
Alternative Middle is a high-poverty, small middle school in San Antonio, Texas, enrolling 65 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5.4:1, Alternative Middle is leaner than roughly 98% of Texas schools and 63% under the state's 14.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 76.7% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of Texas schools, with 65 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 8,960 Texas schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 120 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Texas schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 65 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
The surrounding Northside Isd spends $10,615 per pupil, 22% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 91 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 65 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Northside Isd also operates Brennan H S (2,965 students) and Harlan H S (2,778 students) alongside Alternative Middle.
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 Alternative Middle compares
Alternative Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5.4:1 | ▼ 63% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.7% | ▲ 24% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 65 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5.4:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
65
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
5.4:1
students per teacher
- 63% below state mean
Top 2% in Texas - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$10,615
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
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 65 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 83 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 140.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 80.0%
White 9.2%
African American 7.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Two or More 1.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 80.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.5, Alternative Middle is less mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northside Isd, which includes Alternative Middle.
$10,615
Per student
-22%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.8%
State 21.6%
Federal 17.6%
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 Alternative Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brennan H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harlan H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clark H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Taft H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brandeis H S | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alternative Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,965
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,778
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,750
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,670
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,657
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~65 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~5.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alternative Middle's federal record.
- Compare Alternative Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Northside Isd'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 Alternative Middle
How many students attend Alternative Middle?
Alternative Middle has 65 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Antonio, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alternative Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Alternative Middle is 5.4:1, which is 63% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 66% 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 Alternative Middle?
76.7% of students at Alternative Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alternative Middle?
The largest demographic group at Alternative Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 80.0% of enrollment, in San Antonio, TX.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alternative Middle?
Alternative Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 78/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Alternative Middle rank among middle schools in San Antonio?
By Resource Investment Index, Alternative Middle ranks #3 of 80 middle schools in San Antonio, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in San Antonio on the city page.
Is Alternative Middle a good school?
Alternative Middle earns 78/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Texas 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 Northside Isd?
Besides Alternative Middle, Northside Isd also operates Brennan H S (2,965 students), Harlan H S (2,778 students), and Clark H S (2,750 students). See the Northside Isd 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.