Enrollment
430
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Irondale, AL
Irondale Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Irondale Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010192002117
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Irondale Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Irondale · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 49.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Irondale Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Irondale Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Irondale, AL.
School address
District: Jefferson County · Alabama
NCES ID 010192002117 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Irondale Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Irondale Middle School
Irondale Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Irondale, Alabama, enrolling 430 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 430 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 399 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #252.
Its student body is led by African American (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 175 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 430 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Jefferson County also operates Claychalkville High School (1,377 students) and Mcadory High School (1,259 students) alongside Irondale 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 Irondale Middle School compares
Irondale 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 | 16.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.7% | ▼ 15% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 430 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
430
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 35% in Alabama - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.7%
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
$11,497
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 158 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 40.7 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
African American 52.8%
Hispanic or Latino 34.9%
White 8.6%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 52.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.1, Irondale Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County, which includes Irondale Middle School.
$11,497
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.2%
State 54.2%
Federal 17.6%
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 Irondale Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claychalkville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcadory High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hueytown High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shades Valley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gardendale High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Irondale Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,377
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 1,259
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,200
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,094
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~430 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Irondale Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Irondale Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson County'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 Irondale Middle School
How many students attend Irondale Middle School?
Irondale Middle School has 430 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Irondale, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Irondale Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Irondale Middle School is 16.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 5% higher 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 Irondale Middle School?
49.7% of students at Irondale Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Irondale Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Irondale Middle School is African American at 52.8% of enrollment, in Irondale, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Irondale Middle School?
Irondale Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical 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 Irondale Middle School rank among public schools in Irondale?
By Resource Investment Index, Irondale Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Irondale, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Irondale on the city page.
Is Irondale Middle School a good school?
Irondale Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Jefferson County?
Besides Irondale Middle School, Jefferson County also operates Claychalkville High School (1,377 students), Mcadory High School (1,259 students), and Hueytown High School (1,200 students). See the Jefferson County 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.