Enrollment
440
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbus, GA
Fort Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Fort Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130387001394
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fort Middle School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #1 of 10
- middle schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 96.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Fort Middle School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Middle School ranks #1 of 10 middle schools in Columbus, GA.
School address
District: Muscogee County · Georgia
NCES ID 130387001394 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.7%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fort Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fort Middle School
Fort Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Columbus, Georgia, enrolling 440 students.
At 13.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Georgia median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 96.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 440 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 412 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #61.
Its student body is led by African American (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 220 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 455 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 440 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbus's middle schools, it stands alongside Richards Middle School (799 students): Fort Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 17.4:1).
Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students) and Shaw High School (1,162 students) alongside Fort 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 Fort Middle School compares
Fort Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.7% | ▲ 59% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 440 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
440
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 45% in Georgia - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.0%
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
$12,762
per pupil, district-wide
- below Georgia avg of $13,863
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 220 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
256
in-school suspensions + 199 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 58.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 103.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
African American 77.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.9%
White 7.0%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 77.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.0, Fort Middle School is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muscogee County, which includes Fort Middle School.
$12,762
Per student
-8%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.8%
State 43.0%
Federal 18.2%
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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shaw High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbus High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardaway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jordan Vocational High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fort Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,405
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,162
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,040
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in Columbus
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Richards Middle School
Standard public school
799 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Veterans Memorial Middle School
Standard public school
681 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Baker Middle School
Standard public school
631 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Arnold Middle School
Standard public school
582 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Rothschild Leadership Academy School
Standard public school
498 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Blackmon Road Middle School
Standard public school
478 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~440 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fort Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Fort Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Muscogee 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 Fort Middle School
How many students attend Fort Middle School?
Fort Middle School has 440 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbus, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fort Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fort Middle School is 13.8:1, which is 4% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 12% lower 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 Fort Middle School?
96.7% of students at Fort Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fort Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Fort Middle School is African American at 77.0% of enrollment, in Columbus, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fort Middle School?
Fort Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Middle School rank among middle schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Middle School ranks #1 of 10 middle schools in Columbus, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Fort Middle School a good school?
Fort Middle School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia 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 Muscogee County?
Besides Fort Middle School, Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students), Shaw High School (1,162 students), and Columbus High School (1,161 students). See the Muscogee 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.