Enrollment
371
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Amherst, VA
Amherst Middle
Federal NCES profile for Amherst Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510021000066
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Amherst Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Virginia schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Amherst · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 77.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Amherst Middle has class sizes smaller than 79% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Amherst Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Amherst, VA.
School address
District: Amherst County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510021000066 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.2%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Amherst Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Amherst Middle
Amherst Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Amherst, Virginia, enrolling 371 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 371 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 336 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #192.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 371 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 162 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 371 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Amherst County Public Schools also operates Amherst County High (1,240 students) and Monelison Middle (469 students) alongside Amherst 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 Amherst Middle compares
Amherst Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12:1 | ▼ 14% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.2% | ▲ 34% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 371 | top 78% | - | - |
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.
371
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 21% in Virginia - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.4%
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
$13,028
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
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 371 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
140
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 37.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 43.7 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 69.5%
African American 14.6%
Two or More 9.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 69.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.4, Amherst Middle is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Amherst County Public Schools, which includes Amherst Middle.
$13,028
Per student
-11%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.0%
State 58.7%
Federal 16.3%
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 Amherst Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst County High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monelison Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Heights Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Amelon Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Amherst Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Amherst Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,240
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 415
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 307
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~371 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Amherst Middle's federal record.
- Compare Amherst Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Amherst County Public Schools'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 Amherst Middle
How many students attend Amherst Middle?
Amherst Middle has 371 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Amherst, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Amherst Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Amherst Middle is 12:1, which is 14% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 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 Amherst Middle?
77.2% of students at Amherst Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Amherst Middle?
The largest demographic group at Amherst Middle is White at 69.5% of enrollment, in Amherst, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Amherst Middle?
Amherst Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Amherst Middle rank among public schools in Amherst?
By Resource Investment Index, Amherst Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Amherst, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Amherst on the city page.
Is Amherst Middle a good school?
Amherst Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Virginia 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 Amherst County Public Schools?
Besides Amherst Middle, Amherst County Public Schools also operates Amherst County High (1,240 students), Monelison Middle (469 students), and Madison Heights Elementary (449 students). See the Amherst County Public Schools 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.