Enrollment
572
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Defiance, OH
Defiance Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Defiance Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 390438600840
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Defiance Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median.
- #7 of 8
- public schools in Defiance · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.3:1
- students per teacher
- 45.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Defiance Middle School has class sizes near the Ohio median. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Defiance Middle School ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Defiance, OH.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.2%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Defiance Middle School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Defiance Middle School
Defiance Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Defiance, Ohio, enrolling 572 students.
At 17.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Ohio median, within a few percentage points of the 18.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 45.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 572 puts it in the larger third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Among 491 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Ohio schools statewide, it ranks #348, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 135 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 572 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Defiance City also operates Defiance Elementary School (1,075 students) and Defiance High School (697 students) alongside Defiance 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 Defiance Middle School compares
Defiance Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.3:1 | ▼ 5% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.2% | ▲ 43% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 572 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
572
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% above the Ohio average of 31.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 50% in Ohio - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$13,655
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 286 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
123
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.6 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
White 67.3%
Hispanic or Latino 25.5%
African American 4.7%
Two or More 2.1%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.9, Defiance Middle School is more mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Defiance City, which includes Defiance Middle School.
$13,655
Per student
-7%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.1%
State 51.8%
Federal 15.1%
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 Defiance Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defiance Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Defiance High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Defiance Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,075
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 697
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~572 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Defiance Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Defiance Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Defiance 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 Defiance Middle School
How many students attend Defiance Middle School?
Defiance Middle School has 572 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Defiance, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Defiance Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Defiance Middle School is 17.3:1, which is 5% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 10% higher 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 Defiance Middle School?
45.2% of students at Defiance Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Defiance Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Defiance Middle School is White at 67.3% of enrollment, in Defiance, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Defiance Middle School?
Defiance Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Defiance Middle School rank among public schools in Defiance?
By Resource Investment Index, Defiance Middle School ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Defiance, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Defiance on the city page.
Is Defiance Middle School a good school?
Defiance Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Ohio median. 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 Defiance City?
Besides Defiance Middle School, Defiance City also operates Defiance Elementary School (1,075 students) and Defiance High School (697 students). See the Defiance 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.