Enrollment
342
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Attalla, AL
Etowah Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Etowah Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010018000034
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Etowah Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Attalla · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- students per teacher
- 78.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Etowah Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Etowah Middle School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Attalla, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Etowah Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Etowah Middle School
Etowah Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Attalla, Alabama, enrolling 342 students.
At 18:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 78.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 342 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 291 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #182.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 342 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 146 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 342 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Attalla City also operates Attalla Elementary School (665 students) and Etowah High School (453 students) alongside Etowah 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 Etowah Middle School compares
Etowah 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.1% | ▲ 33% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 342 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
342
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 60% in Alabama - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.5%
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
$11,028
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 342 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
107
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 31.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.7 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 67.0%
African American 18.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Two or More 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 67.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.7, Etowah 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 Attalla City, which includes Etowah Middle School.
$11,028
Per student
-12%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.4%
State 63.2%
Federal 20.4%
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 Etowah Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attalla Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Etowah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Etowah Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~342 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Etowah Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Etowah Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Attalla 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 Etowah Middle School
How many students attend Etowah Middle School?
Etowah Middle School has 342 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Attalla, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Etowah Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Etowah Middle School is 18:1, which is 2% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Etowah Middle School?
78.1% of students at Etowah Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Etowah Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Etowah Middle School is White at 67.0% of enrollment, in Attalla, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Etowah Middle School?
Etowah Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Etowah Middle School rank among public schools in Attalla?
By Resource Investment Index, Etowah Middle School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Attalla, 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 Attalla on the city page.
Is Etowah Middle School a good school?
Etowah Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama 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 Attalla City?
Besides Etowah Middle School, Attalla City also operates Attalla Elementary School (665 students) and Etowah High School (453 students). See the Attalla 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.