Enrollment
462
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 390132205440 Charter school
Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School — Columbus, OH
Federal NCES profile for Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 69
📋 Attendance 13
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School · Ohio
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 18.3:1 Ohio avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.9%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
+147% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School reports 462 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 38.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 27% below the Ohio state mean of 18.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 16% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 77.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 147% above the Ohio average and 50% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 154 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 34.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School spends $12,727 per pupil district-wide, below the Ohio average of $16,867 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 0.9% from local sources (property taxes), 67.1% from the state, and 32.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Ohio state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.3:1 | ▼ 27% | 18.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.9% | ▲ 147% | 31.6% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 462 | top 62% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
77.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 147% above the Ohio average of 31.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.3:1
students per teacher
— 27% below state mean
Top 14% in Ohio — lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
34.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,727
per pupil, district-wide
— below Ohio avg of $16,867
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 154 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
120
in-school suspensions + 123 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 26.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 52.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 13 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 462 Top 62% in Ohio — larger than 38% of 3,586 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 38.0
Students per teacher 13.3:1 -27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 77.9% +147% vs state
NCES ID 390132205440
Student demographics
African American 88.7%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 2.8%
White 1.7%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 88.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 154:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 34.8%
In-school suspensions 120
Out-of-school suspensions 123
Expulsions 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School, which includes Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School.
$12,727
Per student
-25%
vs Ohio
Avg $16,867
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 0.9%
State 67.1%
Federal 32.0%
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.
Similar middle schools in Columbus
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Woodward Park Middle School
Standard public school
836 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Dominion Middle School
Standard public school
745 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Finland Middle School
Standard public school
673 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Mccord Middle School
Standard public school
636 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Norton Middle School
Standard public school
583 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
World Language Middle School
Standard public school
536 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School
How many students attend Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School?
Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School has 462 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbus, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School is 13.3:1, which is 27% lower than the Ohio average of 18.3:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School?
77.9% of students at Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School is African American at 88.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Columbus, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School?
Horizon Science Academy Columbus Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.