Enrollment
591
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Gulf Shores, AL
Gulf Shores Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Gulf Shores 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 010020202471
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gulf Shores Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Alabama schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Gulf Shores · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.1:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 41.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Gulf Shores Middle School has class sizes larger than 91% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gulf Shores Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Gulf Shores, AL.
School address
District: Gulf Shores City · Alabama
NCES ID 010020202471 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gulf Shores Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gulf Shores Middle School
Gulf Shores Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Gulf Shores, Alabama, enrolling 591 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.1:1 is larger than about 91% of Alabama schools and 19% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 591 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 327 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #235, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 591 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 120 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 591 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Gulf Shores City also operates Gulf Shores Elementary School (1,230 students) and Gulf Shores High School (927 students) alongside Gulf Shores 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 Gulf Shores Middle School compares
Gulf Shores 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 | 21.1:1 | ▲ 19% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.3% | ▼ 30% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 591 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.1:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
591
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.1:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 91% in Alabama - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
17.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,463
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 591 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
76
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.3 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 79.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Two or More 4.7%
African American 4.6%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 79.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.0, Gulf Shores Middle School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gulf Shores City, which includes Gulf Shores Middle School.
$11,463
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.4%
State 24.7%
Federal 10.9%
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 Gulf Shores Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Shores Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gulf Shores High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gulf Shores Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,230
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 927
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~591 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gulf Shores Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Gulf Shores Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Gulf Shores 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 Gulf Shores Middle School
How many students attend Gulf Shores Middle School?
Gulf Shores Middle School has 591 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Gulf Shores, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gulf Shores Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gulf Shores Middle School is 21.1:1, which is 19% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 34% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gulf Shores Middle School?
41.3% of students at Gulf Shores Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gulf Shores Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Gulf Shores Middle School is White at 79.9% of enrollment, in Gulf Shores, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gulf Shores Middle School?
Gulf Shores 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 Gulf Shores Middle School rank among public schools in Gulf Shores?
By Resource Investment Index, Gulf Shores Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Gulf Shores, 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 Gulf Shores on the city page.
Is Gulf Shores Middle School a good school?
Gulf Shores Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Gulf Shores City?
Besides Gulf Shores Middle School, Gulf Shores City also operates Gulf Shores Elementary School (1,230 students) and Gulf Shores High School (927 students). See the Gulf Shores 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.