Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bessemer, AL

Bessemer City Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Bessemer City Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010033000086
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10034/100
👥 S:T ratio
9
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
59
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Bessemer City Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Alabama schools.

#8 of 12
public schools in Bessemer · Resource Index
34
Resource Index · Typical
22.8:1
large classes for Alabama
85.3%
free-lunch eligible

Bessemer City Middle School has class sizes larger than 95% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Bessemer City Middle School ranks #8 of 12 public schools in Bessemer, AL.

School address

Bessemer, AL 35020
District: Bessemer City · Alabama

NCES ID 010033000086 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-26 students YoY

Bessemer City Middle School held near 648 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-26 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 27.0 → 31.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-26 students YoY 010033000086 · Bessemer, AL Middle · MID · TRAD

616 enr · 22.8:1 · 85.3% lunch · RII 34

Nearest enrollment peer: Bessemer City High School (760 students)

Bessemer City Middle School held near 648 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-26 headcount). Teacher FTE added 27.0 → 31.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Alabama schools → · Find another →

Bessemer City Middle School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Bessemer City Middle School reports 616 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Bessemer City Middle School compares

Bessemer City Middle School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Alabama and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Alabama Alabama avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 22.8:1 ▲ 29% 17.7:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 85.3% ▲ 45% 58.8% 51.7%
Enrollment 616 top 28% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

22.8:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
616
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
85.3%
free-lunch eligible - 45% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.8:1
students per teacher - 29% above state mean
Top 95% in Alabama - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
58.4%
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
$15,437
per pupil, district-wide - above Alabama avg of $13,538
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 205 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 174 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 expulsions.

Student demographics

African American 73.7%
Hispanic or Latino 22.1%
Two or More 3.2%
White 0.8%
Asian 0.2%

Largest group: African American at 73.7% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 40.7/100

Simpson diversity index - at 40.7, Bessemer City Middle School is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Bessemer City reports $15,437 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Bessemer City Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Bessemer City High School Similar size Lower economic need Lower S:T ratio
Jonesboro Elementary School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Charles F Hard Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Greenwood Elementary School Smaller Lower economic need Lower S:T ratio
Westhills Elementary School Smaller Lower economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Bessemer City Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Bessemer City · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~616 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.8:1)

Frequently asked questions about Bessemer City Middle School

How many students attend Bessemer City Middle School?

Bessemer City Middle School has 616 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bessemer, AL. CCD year-over-year: 674 (2022-23) → 648 (2023-24), nearly flat (-26).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Bessemer City Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Bessemer City Middle School is 22.8:1, which is 29% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bessemer City Middle School?

85.3% of students at Bessemer City Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bessemer City Middle School?

The largest demographic group at Bessemer City Middle School is African American at 73.7% of enrollment, in Bessemer, AL.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Bessemer City Middle School?

Bessemer City Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Bessemer City Middle School rank among public schools in Bessemer?

By Resource Investment Index, Bessemer City Middle School ranks #8 of 12 public schools in Bessemer, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bessemer on the city page.

What other schools are in Bessemer City?

Besides Bessemer City Middle School, Bessemer City also operates Bessemer City High School (760 students), Jonesboro Elementary School (474 students), and Charles F Hard Elementary School (364 students). See the Bessemer City district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .