Enrollment
507
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Jackson, TN
Jackson Central Merry High School
Federal NCES profile for Jackson Central Merry High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 470258002663
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jackson Central Merry High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Tennessee schools.
- #6 of 6
- high schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 39:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 507
- students enrolled
Jackson Central Merry High School has class sizes larger than 99% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Central Merry High School ranks #6 of 6 high schools in Jackson, TN.
School address
District: Madison County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470258002663 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
39:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+155% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jackson Central Merry High School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jackson Central Merry High School
Jackson Central Merry High School is a mid-sized high school in Jackson, Tennessee, enrolling 507 students.
Class loads run heavy: 39:1 is larger than about 99% of Tennessee schools and 155% above the 15.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 507 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 1,838 Tennessee schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 42/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 169 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 340 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 507 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Jackson's high schools, it stands alongside North Side High School (903 students): Jackson Central Merry High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (39:1 vs 16.1:1).
Madison County also operates North Side High School (903 students) and Northeast Middle School (804 students) alongside Jackson Central Merry High 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 Jackson Central Merry High School compares
Jackson Central Merry High School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 39:1 | ▲ 155% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 507 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
39:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
507
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
39:1
students per teacher
- 155% above state mean
Top 99% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
42.0%
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
$10,363
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 169 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
197
in-school suspensions + 143 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 38.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 67.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 74.0%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%
White 5.9%
Two or More 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 74.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.3, Jackson Central Merry High School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison County, which includes Jackson Central Merry High School.
$10,363
Per student
-4%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 39.1%
Federal 21.6%
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 Jackson Central Merry High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Side High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northeast Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thelma Barker Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Side High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Community Montessori School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jackson Central Merry High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 903
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar high schools in Jackson
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
North Side High School
Standard public school
903 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
South Side High School
Standard public school
756 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Liberty Technology Magnet High School
Standard public school
604 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Madison Academic Magnet High School
Standard public school
483 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Jackson Central-Merry Early College High
Standard public school
268 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~507 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jackson Central Merry High School's federal record.
- Compare Jackson Central Merry High School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison 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 Jackson Central Merry High School
How many students attend Jackson Central Merry High School?
Jackson Central Merry High School has 507 students enrolled. It is a high school in Jackson, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jackson Central Merry High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jackson Central Merry High School is 39:1, which is 155% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 148% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jackson Central Merry High School?
The largest demographic group at Jackson Central Merry High School is African American at 74.0% of enrollment, in Jackson, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jackson Central Merry High School?
Jackson Central Merry High School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Jackson Central Merry High School rank among high schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Central Merry High School ranks #6 of 6 high schools in Jackson, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Jackson on the city page.
Is Jackson Central Merry High School a good school?
Jackson Central Merry High School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Tennessee 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 Madison County?
Besides Jackson Central Merry High School, Madison County also operates North Side High School (903 students), Northeast Middle School (804 students), and Thelma Barker Elementary (776 students). See the Madison 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.