Enrollment
860
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Hoover, AL
Ira F Simmons Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ira F Simmons Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010000701741
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ira F Simmons Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Hoover · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 39.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ira F Simmons Middle School has class sizes smaller than 96% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ira F Simmons Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Hoover, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ira F Simmons Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ira F Simmons Middle School
Ira F Simmons Middle School is a large middle school in Hoover, Alabama, enrolling 860 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.6:1, Ira F Simmons Middle School is leaner than roughly 96% of Alabama schools and 29% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 860 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 228 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
10.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 202 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 860 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Hoover's middle schools, it stands alongside Robert F Bumpus Middle School (1,192 students): Ira F Simmons Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 15.9:1).
Hoover City also operates Hoover High School (2,919 students) and Spain Park High School (1,472 students) alongside Ira F Simmons 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 Ira F Simmons Middle School compares
Ira F Simmons Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 29% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.8% | ▼ 32% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 860 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
860
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 4% in Alabama - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
10.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,854
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 287 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
131
in-school suspensions + 71 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.5 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 52.1%
African American 26.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 3.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 52.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, Ira F Simmons Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hoover City, which includes Ira F Simmons Middle School.
$13,854
Per student
+11%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.6%
State 39.9%
Federal 8.5%
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 Ira F Simmons Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoover High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spain Park High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert F Bumpus Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Berry Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Trace Crossings Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ira F Simmons Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,919
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,192
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,058
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 769
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in Hoover
2 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 Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~860 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ira F Simmons Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ira F Simmons Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Hoover 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 Ira F Simmons Middle School
How many students attend Ira F Simmons Middle School?
Ira F Simmons Middle School has 860 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Hoover, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ira F Simmons Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ira F Simmons Middle School is 12.6:1, which is 29% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 20% 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 Ira F Simmons Middle School?
39.8% of students at Ira F Simmons Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ira F Simmons Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ira F Simmons Middle School is White at 52.1% of enrollment, in Hoover, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ira F Simmons Middle School?
Ira F Simmons Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Ira F Simmons Middle School rank among middle schools in Hoover?
By Resource Investment Index, Ira F Simmons Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Hoover, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Hoover on the city page.
Is Ira F Simmons Middle School a good school?
Ira F Simmons Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama 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 Hoover City?
Besides Ira F Simmons Middle School, Hoover City also operates Hoover High School (2,919 students), Spain Park High School (1,472 students), and Robert F Bumpus Middle School (1,192 students). See the Hoover 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.