Enrollment
316
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fairfield, AL
C J Donald Middle School
Federal NCES profile for C J Donald Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010144000515
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
C J Donald Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Fairfield · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 28.7:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 84.6%
- free-lunch eligible
C J Donald Middle School has class sizes larger than 99% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, C J Donald Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, AL.
School address
District: Fairfield City · Alabama
NCES ID 010144000515 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.7:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+62% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.6%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How C J Donald Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at C J Donald Middle School
C J Donald Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Fairfield, Alabama, enrolling 316 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.7:1 is larger than about 99% of Alabama schools and 62% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 84.6% of students qualify for free meals, 44% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 316 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 186 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #167, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 316 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fairfield City also operates Fairfield High Preparatory School (519 students) and Glen Oaks Elementary School (275 students) alongside C J Donald 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 C J Donald Middle School compares
C J Donald 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 | 28.7:1 | ▲ 62% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.6% | ▲ 44% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 316 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.7:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
316
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% 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
28.7:1
students per teacher
- 62% above state mean
Top 99% in Alabama - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
25.3%
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
$13,725
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 316 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 95.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 95.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.0, C J Donald Middle School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfield City, which includes C J Donald Middle School.
$13,725
Per student
+10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 55.3%
Federal 25.1%
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 C J Donald Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield High Preparatory School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Glen Oaks Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Robinson Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to C J Donald Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 275
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 238
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~316 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on C J Donald Middle School's federal record.
- Compare C J Donald Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfield 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 C J Donald Middle School
How many students attend C J Donald Middle School?
C J Donald Middle School has 316 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fairfield, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at C J Donald Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at C J Donald Middle School is 28.7:1, which is 62% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 83% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at C J Donald Middle School?
84.6% of students at C J Donald Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of C J Donald Middle School?
The largest demographic group at C J Donald Middle School is African American at 95.3% of enrollment, in Fairfield, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for C J Donald Middle School?
C J Donald Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 C J Donald Middle School rank among public schools in Fairfield?
By Resource Investment Index, C J Donald Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, 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 Fairfield on the city page.
Is C J Donald Middle School a good school?
C J Donald Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fairfield City?
Besides C J Donald Middle School, Fairfield City also operates Fairfield High Preparatory School (519 students), Glen Oaks Elementary School (275 students), and Robinson Primary School (238 students). See the Fairfield 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.