Enrollment
319
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Max Meadows, VA
Fort Chiswell Middle
Federal NCES profile for Fort Chiswell Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510411002327
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fort Chiswell Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Max Meadows · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 74.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Fort Chiswell Middle has class sizes near the Virginia median. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Chiswell Middle ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Max Meadows, VA.
School address
District: Wythe County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510411002327 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.4%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fort Chiswell Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fort Chiswell Middle
Fort Chiswell Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Max Meadows, Virginia, enrolling 319 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 319 puts it in the smaller third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Among 223 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #201, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 319 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Wythe County Public Schools also operates Spiller Elementary (615 students) and George Wythe High (421 students) alongside Fort Chiswell Middle.
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 Fort Chiswell Middle compares
Fort Chiswell Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.4% | ▲ 29% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 319 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
319
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 61% in Virginia - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.3%
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
$12,353
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
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 319 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.7 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 97.2%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
Two or More 0.9%
African American 0.3%
Largest group: White at 97.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.5, Fort Chiswell Middle is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wythe County Public Schools, which includes Fort Chiswell Middle.
$12,353
Per student
-16%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.2%
State 57.0%
Federal 8.8%
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 Fort Chiswell Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spiller Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George Wythe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fort Chiswell High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rural Retreat Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Scott Memorial Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fort Chiswell Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 615
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 411
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 350
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~319 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fort Chiswell Middle's federal record.
- Compare Fort Chiswell Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Wythe County Public Schools'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 Fort Chiswell Middle
How many students attend Fort Chiswell Middle?
Fort Chiswell Middle has 319 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Max Meadows, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fort Chiswell Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Fort Chiswell Middle is 14.5:1, which is 4% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fort Chiswell Middle?
74.4% of students at Fort Chiswell Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fort Chiswell Middle?
The largest demographic group at Fort Chiswell Middle is White at 97.2% of enrollment, in Max Meadows, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fort Chiswell Middle?
Fort Chiswell Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Fort Chiswell Middle rank among public schools in Max Meadows?
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Chiswell Middle ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Max Meadows, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Max Meadows on the city page.
Is Fort Chiswell Middle a good school?
Fort Chiswell Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Virginia median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Virginia 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 Wythe County Public Schools?
Besides Fort Chiswell Middle, Wythe County Public Schools also operates Spiller Elementary (615 students), George Wythe High (421 students), and Fort Chiswell High (411 students). See the Wythe County Public Schools 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.