Enrollment
317
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jackson, MS
Blackburn Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Blackburn Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280219000372
👥 S:T ratio 73
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 79
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blackburn Middle School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Mississippi schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #4 of 8
- middle schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 6.7:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Blackburn Middle School has class sizes smaller than 99% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blackburn Middle School ranks #4 of 8 middle schools in Jackson, MS.
School address
District: Jackson Public School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280219000372 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6.7:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-50% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blackburn Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blackburn Middle School
Blackburn Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Jackson, Mississippi, enrolling 317 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6.7:1, Blackburn Middle School is leaner than roughly 99% of Mississippi schools and 50% under the state's 13.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 317 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 297 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #26, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (98% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 4/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 106 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 76.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 247 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 317 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 25 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Jackson's middle schools, it stands alongside Cardozo Middle School (531 students): Blackburn Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (6.7:1 vs 10.6:1).
Jackson Public School District also operates Murrah High School (1,259 students) and Forest Hill High School (1,139 students) alongside Blackburn 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 Blackburn Middle School compares
Blackburn Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6.7:1 | ▼ 50% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 317 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6.7:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
317
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
6.7:1
students per teacher
- 50% below state mean
Top 1% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
76.7%
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
$12,155
per pupil, district-wide
- above Mississippi avg of $11,990
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 106 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
73
in-school suspensions + 174 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 77.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 25 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 97.8%
Hispanic or Latino 0.9%
White 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 97.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 4.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 4.3, Blackburn Middle School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jackson Public School District, which includes Blackburn Middle School.
$12,155
Per student
+1%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 39.7%
Federal 24.5%
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 Blackburn Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murrah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Callaway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jim Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lanier High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blackburn Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,259
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,139
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 994
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 975
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 895
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Jackson
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~317 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~6.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blackburn Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Blackburn Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Jackson Public School District'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 Blackburn Middle School
How many students attend Blackburn Middle School?
Blackburn Middle School has 317 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jackson, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blackburn Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Blackburn Middle School is 6.7:1, which is 50% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 57% 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 Blackburn Middle School?
100.0% of students at Blackburn Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blackburn Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Blackburn Middle School is African American at 97.8% of enrollment, in Jackson, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blackburn Middle School?
Blackburn Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher 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 Blackburn Middle School rank among middle schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, Blackburn Middle School ranks #4 of 8 middle schools in Jackson, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Jackson on the city page.
Is Blackburn Middle School a good school?
Blackburn Middle School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Mississippi schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi 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 Jackson Public School District?
Besides Blackburn Middle School, Jackson Public School District also operates Murrah High School (1,259 students), Forest Hill High School (1,139 students), and Callaway High School (994 students). See the Jackson Public School District 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.