Enrollment
616
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
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
👥 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
District: Bessemer City · Alabama
NCES ID 010033000086 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
85.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bessemer City Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bessemer City Middle School
Bessemer City Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Bessemer, Alabama, enrolling 616 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.8:1 is larger than about 95% of Alabama schools and 29% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 85.3% of students qualify for free meals, 45% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 616 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 198 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #79.
Its student body is led by African American (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 205 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 58.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 174 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 616 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 12 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Bessemer City also operates Bessemer City High School (760 students) and Jonesboro Elementary School (474 students) alongside Bessemer City 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 Bessemer City Middle School compares
Bessemer City Middle School on the metrics families compare, against 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 (what these measure)
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
$13,580
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
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.
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 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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bessemer City, which includes Bessemer City Middle School.
$13,580
Per student
+9%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.2%
State 46.5%
Federal 26.3%
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 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
- Enrollment
- 760
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 277
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~616 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bessemer City Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Bessemer City Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bessemer City'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 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.
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, counselor availability, attendance rates. 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.
Is Bessemer City Middle School a good school?
Bessemer City Middle School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Alabama 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 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.
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.