Enrollment
352
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Houston, MS
Houston Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Houston Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280020001538
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Houston Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Mississippi schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 79.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Houston Middle School has class sizes smaller than 78% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Houston Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Houston, MS.
School address
District: Chickasaw Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280020001538 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.9%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Houston Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Houston Middle School
Houston Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Houston, Mississippi, enrolling 352 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 79.9% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 352 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 108 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 23.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Chickasaw Co School Dist also operates Houston High School (529 students) and Houston Lower Elementary (472 students) alongside Houston 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 Houston Middle School compares
Houston Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.4:1 | ▼ 14% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.9% | ▼ 1% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 352 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
352
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 22% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$9,753
per pupil, district-wide
- below Mississippi avg of $11,990
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
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 44.3%
African American 36.1%
Two or More 11.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Largest group: White at 44.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Houston Middle School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chickasaw Co School Dist, which includes Houston Middle School.
$9,753
Per student
-19%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.9%
State 57.7%
Federal 23.4%
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 Houston Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Houston Lower Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Houlka Attendance Center | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Houston Upper Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Houston Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~352 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Houston Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Houston Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Chickasaw Co School Dist'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 Houston Middle School
How many students attend Houston Middle School?
Houston Middle School has 352 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Houston, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Houston Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Houston Middle School is 11.4:1, which is 14% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 27% 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 Houston Middle School?
79.9% of students at Houston Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Houston Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Houston Middle School is White at 44.3% of enrollment, in Houston, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Houston Middle School?
Houston Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Houston Middle School rank among public schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, Houston Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Houston, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Houston on the city page.
Is Houston Middle School a good school?
Houston Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Mississippi schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi 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 Chickasaw Co School Dist?
Besides Houston Middle School, Chickasaw Co School Dist also operates Houston High School (529 students), Houston Lower Elementary (472 students), and Houlka Attendance Center (457 students). See the Chickasaw Co School Dist 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.