Enrollment
342
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Atlanta, GA
Herman J. Russell West End Academy
Federal NCES profile for Herman J. Russell West End Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130012002344
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Herman J. Russell West End Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #4 of 18
- middle schools in Atlanta · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.2:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Herman J. Russell West End Academy has class sizes smaller than 96% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Herman J. Russell West End Academy ranks #4 of 18 middle schools in Atlanta, GA.
School address
District: Atlanta Public Schools · Georgia
NCES ID 130012002344 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Herman J. Russell West End Academy compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Herman J. Russell West End Academy
Herman J. Russell West End Academy is a high-poverty, small middle school in Atlanta, Georgia, enrolling 342 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.2:1, Herman J. Russell West End Academy is leaner than roughly 96% of Georgia schools and 36% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Georgia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 342 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 262 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #37.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 171 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 69.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Atlanta Public Schools spends $22,882 per pupil, 65% above the Georgia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 82 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 342 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Atlanta's middle schools, it stands alongside Sequoyah Middle School (1,713 students): Herman J. Russell West End Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.2:1 vs 15.3:1).
Atlanta Public Schools also operates North Atlanta High School (2,368 students) and Midtown High School (1,696 students) alongside Herman J. Russell West End Academy.
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 Herman J. Russell West End Academy compares
Herman J. Russell West End Academy on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.2:1 | ▼ 36% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 65% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 342 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.2:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
342
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.2:1
students per teacher
- 36% below state mean
Top 4% in Georgia - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
69.3%
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
$22,882
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 171 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 68 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 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 96.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
Two or More 0.6%
White 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 96.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.3, Herman J. Russell West End Academy is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atlanta Public Schools, which includes Herman J. Russell West End Academy.
$22,882
Per student
+65%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.7%
State 15.6%
Federal 15.7%
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 Herman J. Russell West End Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Atlanta High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Midtown High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willis a. Sutton Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maynard Jackson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benjamin E. Mays High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Herman J. Russell West End Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,368
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,696
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,619
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,549
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,338
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Atlanta
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Sequoyah Middle School
Standard public school
1,713 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Willis a. Sutton Middle School
Standard public school
1,619 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Peachtree Middle School
Standard public school
1,214 students 15:1 students per teacher
David T Howard Middle School
Standard public school
1,073 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Sandtown Middle School
Standard public school
956 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Ridgeview Charter School
Standard public school
945 students 11.8:1 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 (~342 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Herman J. Russell West End Academy's federal record.
- Compare Herman J. Russell West End Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Atlanta Public Schools'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 Herman J. Russell West End Academy
How many students attend Herman J. Russell West End Academy?
Herman J. Russell West End Academy has 342 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Atlanta, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Herman J. Russell West End Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Herman J. Russell West End Academy is 9.2:1, which is 36% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 41% 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 Herman J. Russell West End Academy?
100.0% of students at Herman J. Russell West End Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Herman J. Russell West End Academy?
The largest demographic group at Herman J. Russell West End Academy is African American at 96.8% of enrollment, in Atlanta, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Herman J. Russell West End Academy?
Herman J. Russell West End Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Herman J. Russell West End Academy rank among middle schools in Atlanta?
By Resource Investment Index, Herman J. Russell West End Academy ranks #4 of 18 middle schools in Atlanta, 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 Atlanta on the city page.
Is Herman J. Russell West End Academy a good school?
Herman J. Russell West End Academy earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia 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 Atlanta Public Schools?
Besides Herman J. Russell West End Academy, Atlanta Public Schools also operates North Atlanta High School (2,368 students), Midtown High School (1,696 students), and Willis a. Sutton Middle School (1,619 students). See the Atlanta Public Schools 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.