Enrollment
741
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Fort Payne, AL
Fort Payne Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Fort Payne Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010156001750
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fort Payne Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Fort Payne · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 69.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Fort Payne Middle School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Payne Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Fort Payne, AL.
School address
District: Fort Payne City · Alabama
NCES ID 010156001750 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fort Payne Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fort Payne Middle School
Fort Payne Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Fort Payne, Alabama, enrolling 741 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 69.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 741 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 310 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #22, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (44%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 371 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.1% 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 741 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Fort Payne City also operates Fort Payne High School (1,106 students) and Little Ridge Intermediate School (792 students) alongside Fort Payne 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 Payne Middle School compares
Fort Payne 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 | 15.1:1 | ▼ 15% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.0% | ▲ 17% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 741 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
741
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 18% in Alabama - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.1%
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
$10,433
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 371 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
148
in-school suspensions + 69 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.3 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 47.8%
Hispanic or Latino 44.0%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 47.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Fort Payne 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 Fort Payne City, which includes Fort Payne Middle School.
$10,433
Per student
-16%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.8%
State 60.1%
Federal 19.1%
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 Payne Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Payne High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Little Ridge Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wills Valley Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Williams Avenue Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fort Payne Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,106
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 131
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~741 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fort Payne Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Fort Payne Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Payne 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 Fort Payne Middle School
How many students attend Fort Payne Middle School?
Fort Payne Middle School has 741 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Fort Payne, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fort Payne Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fort Payne Middle School is 15.1:1, which is 15% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 4% 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 Payne Middle School?
69.0% of students at Fort Payne Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fort Payne Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Fort Payne Middle School is White at 47.8% of enrollment, in Fort Payne, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fort Payne Middle School?
Fort Payne Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Payne Middle School rank among public schools in Fort Payne?
By Resource Investment Index, Fort Payne Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Fort Payne, 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 Fort Payne on the city page.
Is Fort Payne Middle School a good school?
Fort Payne Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of 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 Fort Payne City?
Besides Fort Payne Middle School, Fort Payne City also operates Fort Payne High School (1,106 students), Little Ridge Intermediate School (792 students), and Wills Valley Elementary School (738 students). See the Fort Payne 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.