Enrollment
446
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lakewood, OH
Harding Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Harding Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 390441905364
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harding Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Ohio schools.
- #9 of 12
- public schools in Lakewood · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- small classes for Ohio
- 22.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Harding Middle School has class sizes smaller than 81% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harding Middle School ranks #9 of 12 public schools in Lakewood, OH.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.3%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harding Middle School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harding Middle School
Harding Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Lakewood, Ohio, enrolling 446 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 22.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 446 students, its enrollment sits close to the Ohio median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 3,574 scored Ohio schools.
Against 736 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #201.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 446 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Lakewood City spends $19,106 per pupil, 30% above the Ohio average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Lakewood's middle schools, it stands alongside Garfield Middle School (457 students): Harding Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.9:1 vs 14.3:1).
Lakewood City also operates Lakewood High School (1,372 students) and Garfield Middle School (457 students) alongside Harding 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 Harding Middle School compares
Harding Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.9:1 | ▼ 24% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.3% | ▼ 29% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 446 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
446
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 19% in Ohio - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$19,106
per pupil, district-wide
- above Ohio avg of $14,655
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 446 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.8 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 79.6%
Two or More 12.3%
African American 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 79.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.9, Harding Middle School is about as mixed as the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lakewood City, which includes Harding Middle School.
$19,106
Per student
+30%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.2%
State 24.1%
Federal 8.7%
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 Harding Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Garfield Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grant Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Emerson Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hayes Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harding Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,372
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar middle schools in Lakewood
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~446 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harding Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Harding Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lakewood 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 Harding Middle School
How many students attend Harding Middle School?
Harding Middle School has 446 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lakewood, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harding Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harding Middle School is 13.9:1, which is 24% lower than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 11% 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 Harding Middle School?
22.3% of students at Harding Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harding Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Harding Middle School is White at 79.6% of enrollment, in Lakewood, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harding Middle School?
Harding Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Harding Middle School rank among public schools in Lakewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Harding Middle School ranks #9 of 12 public schools in Lakewood, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lakewood on the city page.
Is Harding Middle School a good school?
Harding Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Ohio 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 Lakewood City?
Besides Harding Middle School, Lakewood City also operates Lakewood High School (1,372 students), Garfield Middle School (457 students), and Grant Elementary School (323 students). See the Lakewood 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.