Enrollment
483
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Roanoke, AL
Handley Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Handley Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010285001127
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Handley Middle School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Roanoke · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- students per teacher
- 66.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Handley Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Handley Middle School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Roanoke, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.2%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Handley Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Handley Middle School
Handley Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Roanoke, Alabama, enrolling 483 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 483 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 432 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #310, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and African American (38%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 483 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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: 99 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 483 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Roanoke City also operates Knight Enloe Elementary School (506 students) and Handley High School (366 students) alongside Handley 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 Handley Middle School compares
Handley 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.2% | ▲ 13% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 483 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
483
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 68% in Alabama - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,250
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 483 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
95
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.5 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 58.0%
African American 37.7%
Two or More 1.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.4%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 58.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.1, Handley Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Roanoke City, which includes Handley Middle School.
$11,250
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.1%
State 57.8%
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 Handley Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knight Enloe Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Handley High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Handley Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary 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 (~483 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Handley Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Handley Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Roanoke 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 Handley Middle School
How many students attend Handley Middle School?
Handley Middle School has 483 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Roanoke, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Handley Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Handley Middle School is 18.6:1, which is 5% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Handley Middle School?
66.2% of students at Handley Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Handley Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Handley Middle School is White at 58.0% of enrollment, in Roanoke, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Handley Middle School?
Handley Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Handley Middle School rank among public schools in Roanoke?
By Resource Investment Index, Handley Middle School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Roanoke, 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 Roanoke on the city page.
Is Handley Middle School a good school?
Handley Middle School earns 32/100 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 Roanoke City?
Besides Handley Middle School, Roanoke City also operates Knight Enloe Elementary School (506 students) and Handley High School (366 students). See the Roanoke 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.