Middle school (grades 6-8) · Coal City, WV

Independence Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Independence Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 540123000779

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Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools. · Updated August 2026

The verdict

Independence Middle School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of West Virginia schools.

#1 of 3
public schools in Coal City · Resource Index: 44
Resource Index · Typical: 10:1
small classes for West Virginia: 401
students enrolled

Independence Middle School has class sizes smaller than 86% of West Virginia schools. Computed live against every West Virginia school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Independence Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Coal City, WV.

School address

Coal City, WV 25823

District: Raleigh County Schools · West Virginia

NCES ID 540123000779 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-33 students YoY

Independence Middle School shrank from 477 students in 2022-23 to 444 in 2023-24 (-6.9%).

Teacher FTE lost 40.0 → 34.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-33 students YoY 540123000779 · Coal City, WV Middle · SMALL · TRAD

401 enr · 10:1 · RII 44

Nearest enrollment peer: Woodrow Wilson High School (1,284 students)

Independence Middle School shrank from 477 students in 2022-23 to 444 in 2023-24 (-6.9%). Teacher FTE lost 40.0 → 34.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · West Virginia schools → · Find another →

Woodrow Wilson

1,284
Shady Spring H

754
Shady Spring M

599
Independence H

597
Beckley-Stratt

590
This school

401

What this shows Independence Middle School reports 401 students on the CCD universe file.

How Independence Middle School compares

Independence Middle School is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs West Virginia and U.S. means.

Metric	This school	vs West Virginia	West Virginia avg	U.S. avg
Students per teacher	10:1	▼ 24%	13.1:1	15.7:1
Enrollment	401	top 34%	-	-

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

10:1

Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.

401

Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Staffing depth

10:1

students per teacher - 24% below state mean

Top 14% in West Virginia - lower ratio than 86% of state schools

Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.

Engagement

43.1%

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

$13,305

per pupil, district-wide - below West Virginia avg of $15,158

Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.

Support staff

Counselors1.5 FTE

Per 267 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.

Discipline context

130

in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school

Suspension rate: 32.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 47.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 91.5%

Two or More 4.5%

African American 2.0%

Hispanic or Latino 1.7%

Asian 0.2%

Largest group: White at 91.5% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 16.0/100

Simpson diversity index - at 16.0, Independence Middle School is about as mixed as the West Virginia school average of 17.9.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Raleigh County Schools reports $13,305 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Independence Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School	Enrollment	Economic Profile	Student-Teacher Ratio	Resources	Type
Woodrow Wilson High School	Larger	No free-lunch data	Higher S:T ratio	Lower resources	Traditional public
Shady Spring High	Larger	No free-lunch data	Higher S:T ratio	Similar resources	Traditional public
Shady Spring Middle School	Larger	No free-lunch data	Higher S:T ratio	Similar resources	Traditional public
Independence High School	Larger	No free-lunch data	Higher S:T ratio	Lower resources	Traditional public
Beckley-Stratton Middle School	Larger	No free-lunch data	Higher S:T ratio	Similar resources	Traditional public

Comparisons are relative to Independence Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Raleigh County Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Woodrow Wilson High School

High Standard

Enrollment: 1,284
Students per teacher: 16.7:1
Resource Index: 35/100

Compare side-by-side

Shady Spring High

High Standard

Enrollment: 754
Students per teacher: 14.5:1
Resource Index: 40/100

Compare side-by-side

Shady Spring Middle School

Middle Standard

Enrollment: 599
Students per teacher: 13.9:1
Resource Index: 44/100

Compare side-by-side

Independence High School

High Standard

Enrollment: 597
Students per teacher: 17.6:1
Resource Index: 25/100

Compare side-by-side

Beckley-Stratton Middle School

Middle Standard

Enrollment: 590
Students per teacher: 11.8:1
Resource Index: 41/100

Compare side-by-side

Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~401 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~10:1)

Frequently asked questions about Independence Middle School

How many students attend Independence Middle School?

Independence Middle School has 401 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Coal City, WV. CCD year-over-year: 477 (2022-23) → 444 (2023-24), down 33.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Independence Middle School is 10:1, which is 24% lower than the West Virginia average of 13.1:1 and 36% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Middle School?

The largest demographic group at Independence Middle School is White at 91.5% of enrollment, in Coal City, WV.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Middle School?

Independence Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Independence Middle School rank among public schools in Coal City?

By Resource Investment Index, Independence Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Coal City, WV. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking.

What other schools are in Raleigh County Schools?

Besides Independence Middle School, Raleigh County Schools also operates Woodrow Wilson High School (1,284 students), Shady Spring High (754 students), and Shady Spring Middle School (599 students). See the Raleigh County Schools district page for the complete list.

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Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools. · Updated August 2026