Middle school (grades 6-8) · Auburn, AL

East Samford School

Federal NCES profile for East Samford School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010021002440
0/100100/10038/100
👥 S:T ratio
16
🌟 Gifted program
30
🎓 Counselors
27
📋 Attendance
79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

East Samford School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.

#7 of 13
public schools in Auburn · Resource Index
38
Resource Index · Typical
20.9:1
large classes for Alabama
28.4%
free-lunch eligible

East Samford School has class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, East Samford School ranks #7 of 13 public schools in Auburn, AL.

School address

Enrollment

733

Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

35.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

20.9:1

vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg

+18% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

28.4%

vs 58.8% Alabama avg

-52% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How East Samford School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians

Larger classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at East Samford School

East Samford School is a mid-sized middle school in Auburn, Alabama, enrolling 733 students.

Class loads run heavy: 20.9:1 is larger than about 90% of Alabama schools and 18% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.

Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 28.4% free-meal eligibility runs 52% below the Alabama average.

Enrollment of 733 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.

Against 154 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #93.

Its student body is led by White (49%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).

Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 367 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.

Attendance holds up well here: only 8.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.

The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.

Among Auburn's middle schools, it stands alongside Drake Middle School (720 students): East Samford School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.9:1 vs 20.6:1).

Auburn City also operates Auburn High School (2,227 students) and Auburn Junior High School (1,491 students) alongside East Samford 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 East Samford School compares

East Samford 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 20.9:1 ▲ 18% 17.7:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 28.4% ▼ 52% 58.8% 51.7%
Enrollment 733 top 19% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
733
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
28.4%
free-lunch eligible - 52% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.9:1
students per teacher - 18% above state mean
Top 90% in Alabama - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
8.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,977
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 367 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 55 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 49.4%
African American 20.7%
Asian 14.6%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%
Two or More 4.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Largest group: White at 49.4% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 67.9/100

Simpson diversity index - at 67.9, East Samford School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.

Programs

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Auburn City, which includes East Samford School.

$10,977
Per student
-12%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.7%
State 41.9%
Federal 6.4%

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 East Samford School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Auburn High School Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Auburn Junior High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Drake Middle School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Ogletree Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Auburn Early Education Center Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to East Samford School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Auburn City · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar middle schools in Auburn

1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on East Samford School's federal record.

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 East Samford School

How many students attend East Samford School?

East Samford School has 733 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Auburn, AL.

What is the student-teacher ratio at East Samford School?

The student-teacher ratio at East Samford School is 20.9:1, which is 18% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at East Samford School?

28.4% of students at East Samford School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Samford School?

The largest demographic group at East Samford School is White at 49.4% of enrollment, in Auburn, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.9/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for East Samford School?

East Samford School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 East Samford School rank among public schools in Auburn?

By Resource Investment Index, East Samford School ranks #7 of 13 public schools in Auburn, 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 Auburn on the city page.

Is East Samford School a good school?

East Samford School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools. It is also more 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 Auburn City?

Besides East Samford School, Auburn City also operates Auburn High School (2,227 students), Auburn Junior High School (1,491 students), and Drake Middle School (720 students). See the Auburn City district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved

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.