Enrollment
534
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Smithville, TN
Dekalb Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Dekalb Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 470099000323
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dekalb Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Smithville · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 534
- students enrolled
Dekalb Middle School has class sizes near the Tennessee median. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dekalb Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Smithville, TN.
School address
District: Dekalb County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470099000323 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dekalb Middle School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dekalb Middle School
Dekalb Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Smithville, Tennessee, enrolling 534 students.
At 15.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Tennessee median, within a few percentage points of the 15.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
With 534 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 46/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Dekalb County also operates De Kalb County High School (781 students) and Northside Elementary (544 students) alongside Dekalb 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 Dekalb Middle School compares
Dekalb Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▼ 0% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 534 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
534
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 56% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
47.9%
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
$9,893
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
White 70.6%
Hispanic or Latino 20.0%
Two or More 5.2%
African American 3.6%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 70.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.8, Dekalb Middle School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dekalb County, which includes Dekalb Middle School.
$9,893
Per student
-9%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 61.0%
Federal 19.2%
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 Dekalb Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| De Kalb County High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northside Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smithville Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dekalb West Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dekalb Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 781
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 544
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~534 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dekalb Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Dekalb Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Dekalb County'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 Dekalb Middle School
How many students attend Dekalb Middle School?
Dekalb Middle School has 534 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Smithville, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dekalb Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dekalb Middle School is 15.3:1, which is 0% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dekalb Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Dekalb Middle School is White at 70.6% of enrollment, in Smithville, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dekalb Middle School?
Dekalb Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Dekalb Middle School rank among public schools in Smithville?
By Resource Investment Index, Dekalb Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Smithville, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Smithville on the city page.
Is Dekalb Middle School a good school?
Dekalb Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee 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 Dekalb County?
Besides Dekalb Middle School, Dekalb County also operates De Kalb County High School (781 students), Northside Elementary (544 students), and Smithville Elementary (535 students). See the Dekalb County 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.