Enrollment
738
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Northport, AL
Echols Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Echols Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010339001462
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Echols Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #9 of 14
- public schools in Northport · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- students per teacher
- 58.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Echols Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Echols Middle School ranks #9 of 14 public schools in Northport, AL.
School address
District: Tuscaloosa County · Alabama
NCES ID 010339001462 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Echols Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Echols Middle School
Echols Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Northport, Alabama, enrolling 738 students.
At 17.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.3% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 738 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 385 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #141.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (29%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 369 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 170 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 738 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 28 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Northport's middle schools, it stands alongside Northside Middle School (394 students): Echols Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.6:1 vs 18.8:1).
Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students) and Hillcrest High School (1,434 students) alongside Echols 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 Echols Middle School compares
Echols 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 | 17.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.3% | ▼ 1% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 738 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
738
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.3%
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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 54% in Alabama - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.3%
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
$11,186
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 369 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 157 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 28 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 47.4%
African American 28.7%
Hispanic or Latino 20.5%
Two or More 1.8%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 47.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.0, Echols 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 Tuscaloosa County, which includes Echols Middle School.
$11,186
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.0%
State 58.1%
Federal 14.9%
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 Echols Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brookwood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake View Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walker Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Echols Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,607
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Northport
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.
Similar enrollment (~738 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Echols Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Echols Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscaloosa 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 Echols Middle School
How many students attend Echols Middle School?
Echols Middle School has 738 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Northport, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Echols Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Echols Middle School is 17.6:1, which is 1% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 12% 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 Echols Middle School?
58.3% of students at Echols Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Echols Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Echols Middle School is White at 47.4% of enrollment, in Northport, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Echols Middle School?
Echols Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Echols Middle School rank among public schools in Northport?
By Resource Investment Index, Echols Middle School ranks #9 of 14 public schools in Northport, 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 Northport on the city page.
Is Echols Middle School a good school?
Echols Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Tuscaloosa County?
Besides Echols Middle School, Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students), Hillcrest High School (1,434 students), and Brookwood High School (1,076 students). See the Tuscaloosa 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.