Enrollment
388
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Ozark, AL
D a Smith Middle School
Federal NCES profile for D a Smith Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010264001081
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
D a Smith Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Ozark · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 58.1%
- free-lunch eligible
D a Smith Middle School has class sizes smaller than 84% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, D a Smith Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Ozark, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How D a Smith Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at D a Smith Middle School
D a Smith Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Ozark, Alabama, enrolling 388 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.1% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 388 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 409 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #309, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and White (30%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 388 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 243 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 388 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Ozark City also operates Carroll High School (640 students) and Joseph W Lisenby Primary School (494 students) alongside D a Smith 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 D a Smith Middle School compares
D a Smith 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 | 14.9:1 | ▼ 16% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.1% | ▼ 1% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 388 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
388
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 16% in Alabama - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
47.7%
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
$12,478
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 388 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
142
in-school suspensions + 101 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 36.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 62.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 54.9%
White 30.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
Two or More 6.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 54.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, D a Smith Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ozark City, which includes D a Smith Middle School.
$12,478
Per student
0%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.7%
State 56.2%
Federal 22.1%
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 D a Smith Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Joseph W Lisenby Primary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harry N Mixon Intermediate School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to D a Smith Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 640
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~388 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on D a Smith Middle School's federal record.
- Compare D a Smith Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Ozark 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 D a Smith Middle School
How many students attend D a Smith Middle School?
D a Smith Middle School has 388 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Ozark, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at D a Smith Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at D a Smith Middle School is 14.9:1, which is 16% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 5% 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 D a Smith Middle School?
58.1% of students at D a Smith Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of D a Smith Middle School?
The largest demographic group at D a Smith Middle School is African American at 54.9% of enrollment, in Ozark, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for D a Smith Middle School?
D a Smith Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 D a Smith Middle School rank among public schools in Ozark?
By Resource Investment Index, D a Smith Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Ozark, 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 Ozark on the city page.
Is D a Smith Middle School a good school?
D a Smith Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Ozark City?
Besides D a Smith Middle School, Ozark City also operates Carroll High School (640 students), Joseph W Lisenby Primary School (494 students), and Harry N Mixon Intermediate School (383 students). See the Ozark 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.