Enrollment
395
Nebraska · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lincoln, NE
Dawes Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Dawes Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 317284001145
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dawes Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Nebraska schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Nebraska schools.
- #8 of 12
- middle schools in Lincoln · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11:1
- small classes for Nebraska
- 38.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Dawes Middle School has class sizes smaller than 70% of Nebraska schools. Computed live against every Nebraska school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dawes Middle School ranks #8 of 12 middle schools in Lincoln, NE.
School address
District: Lincoln Public Schools · Nebraska
NCES ID 317284001145 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 13.5:1 Nebraska avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.5%
vs 30.9% Nebraska avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dawes Middle School compares with Nebraska and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dawes Middle School
Dawes Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Lincoln, Nebraska, enrolling 395 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11:1 puts it in the smaller third of Nebraska schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 38.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 395 puts it in the larger third of Nebraska schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,003 scored Nebraska schools.
Against 154 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #86.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 161 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Lincoln Public Schools spends $12,831 per pupil, 27% below the Nebraska average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 201 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 395 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Lincoln Public Schools also operates Southwest High School (2,110 students) and Lincoln High School (2,086 students) alongside Dawes 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 Dawes Middle School compares
Dawes Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Nebraska and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Nebraska | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11:1 | ▼ 19% | 13.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.5% | ▲ 25% | 30.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 395 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
395
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% above the Nebraska average of 30.9%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 30% in Nebraska - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.8%
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
$12,831
per pupil, district-wide
- below Nebraska avg of $17,680
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 161 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
108
in-school suspensions + 93 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 27.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
White 52.4%
Hispanic or Latino 21.3%
Two or More 11.9%
African American 9.9%
Asian 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 52.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.5, Dawes Middle School is more mixed than the Nebraska school average of 34.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln Public Schools, which includes Dawes Middle School.
$12,831
Per student
-27%
vs Nebraska
Avg $17,680
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.5%
State 30.0%
Federal 12.5%
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 Dawes Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Star High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Southeast High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dawes Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,110
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,086
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,982
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,927
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,848
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Nebraska, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~395 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dawes Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Dawes Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln Public Schools'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 Dawes Middle School
How many students attend Dawes Middle School?
Dawes Middle School has 395 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lincoln, NE.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dawes Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dawes Middle School is 11:1, which is 19% lower than the Nebraska average of 13.5:1 and 30% 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 Dawes Middle School?
38.5% of students at Dawes Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Nebraska average of 30.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dawes Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Dawes Middle School is White at 52.4% of enrollment, in Lincoln, NE. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dawes Middle School?
Dawes Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Dawes Middle School rank among middle schools in Lincoln?
By Resource Investment Index, Dawes Middle School ranks #8 of 12 middle schools in Lincoln, NE. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Lincoln on the city page.
Is Dawes Middle School a good school?
Dawes Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Nebraska schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Nebraska 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 Lincoln Public Schools?
Besides Dawes Middle School, Lincoln Public Schools also operates Southwest High School (2,110 students), Lincoln High School (2,086 students), and Lincoln East High School (1,982 students). See the Lincoln Public Schools 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.