Enrollment
434
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Walnut Hill, FL
Ernest Ward Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ernest Ward Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 120051000813
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ernest Ward Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Florida schools.
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.7:1
- large classes for Florida
- 45.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 434
- students enrolled
Ernest Ward Middle School has class sizes larger than 75% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.5%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ernest Ward Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ernest Ward Middle School
Ernest Ward Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Walnut Hill, Florida, enrolling 434 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 45.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 434 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Among 457 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Florida schools statewide, it ranks #421, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 434 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 217 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 434 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Escambia also operates J. M. Tate Senior High School (2,169 students) and Washington Senior High School (1,676 students) alongside Ernest Ward 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 Ernest Ward Middle School compares
Ernest Ward Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.7:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.5% | ▼ 13% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 434 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.7:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
434
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% below the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.7:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 75% in Florida - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
50.5%
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
$10,794
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 434 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
131
in-school suspensions + 86 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 30.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 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 70.7%
African American 13.8%
Two or More 6.0%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.0%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 70.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.4, Ernest Ward Middle School is less mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Escambia, which includes Ernest Ward Middle School.
$10,794
Per student
-3%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.7%
State 40.7%
Federal 20.6%
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 Ernest Ward Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. M. Tate Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Washington Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Escambia High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine Forest High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Florida High School/Technical | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ernest Ward Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,169
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,676
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,634
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,604
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,322
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~434 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ernest Ward Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ernest Ward Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Escambia'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 Ernest Ward Middle School
How many students attend Ernest Ward Middle School?
Ernest Ward Middle School has 434 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Walnut Hill, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ernest Ward Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ernest Ward Middle School is 19.7:1, which is 11% higher than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ernest Ward Middle School?
45.5% of students at Ernest Ward Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ernest Ward Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ernest Ward Middle School is White at 70.7% of enrollment, in Walnut Hill, FL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ernest Ward Middle School?
Ernest Ward Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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).
Is Ernest Ward Middle School a good school?
Ernest Ward Middle School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Florida 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 Escambia?
Besides Ernest Ward Middle School, Escambia also operates J. M. Tate Senior High School (2,169 students), Washington Senior High School (1,676 students), and Escambia High School (1,634 students). See the Escambia 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.