Enrollment
594
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fitzgerald, GA
Ben Hill County Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ben Hill County Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130036002149
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ben Hill County Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Georgia schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Fitzgerald · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 88.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Ben Hill County Middle School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Hill County Middle School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Fitzgerald, GA.
School address
District: Ben Hill County · Georgia
NCES ID 130036002149 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
88.9%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ben Hill County Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ben Hill County Middle School
Ben Hill County Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Fitzgerald, Georgia, enrolling 594 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.2:1, Ben Hill County Middle School is leaner than roughly 88% of Georgia schools and 22% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 88.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 594 students, its enrollment sits close to the Georgia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 559 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #354.
Its student body is led by African American (42%) and White (41%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 594 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 296 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 594 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 34 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Ben Hill County also operates Fitzgerald High School School College and Career Academy (870 students) and Ben Hill County Primary School (815 students) alongside Ben Hill County 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 Ben Hill County Middle School compares
Ben Hill County Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.2:1 | ▼ 22% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 88.9% | ▲ 46% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 594 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
594
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
88.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 12% in Georgia - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.0%
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
$14,371
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 594 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
199
in-school suspensions + 97 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 33.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 49.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 34 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
African American 42.3%
White 40.9%
Hispanic or Latino 13.3%
Two or More 3.0%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 42.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.5, Ben Hill County Middle School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ben Hill County, which includes Ben Hill County Middle School.
$14,371
Per student
+4%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.1%
State 51.7%
Federal 24.2%
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 Ben Hill County Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitzgerald High School School College and Career Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ben Hill County Primary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ben Hill Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hurricane Transition Academy | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ben Hill County Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 815
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 49
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~594 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ben Hill County Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ben Hill County Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Ben Hill County'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 Ben Hill County Middle School
How many students attend Ben Hill County Middle School?
Ben Hill County Middle School has 594 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fitzgerald, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ben Hill County Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ben Hill County Middle School is 11.2:1, which is 22% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 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 Ben Hill County Middle School?
88.9% of students at Ben Hill County Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ben Hill County Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ben Hill County Middle School is African American at 42.3% of enrollment, in Fitzgerald, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ben Hill County Middle School?
Ben Hill County Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Ben Hill County Middle School rank among public schools in Fitzgerald?
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Hill County Middle School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Fitzgerald, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Fitzgerald on the city page.
Is Ben Hill County Middle School a good school?
Ben Hill County Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Georgia 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 Ben Hill County?
Besides Ben Hill County Middle School, Ben Hill County also operates Fitzgerald High School School College and Career Academy (870 students), Ben Hill County Primary School (815 students), and Ben Hill Elementary School (552 students). See the Ben Hill County 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.