Enrollment
463
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jackson, TN
Jackson Central Merry Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Jackson Central Merry Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 470258002664
👥 S:T ratio 8
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jackson Central Merry Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Tennessee schools.
- #1 of 4
- middle schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.1:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 463
- students enrolled
Jackson Central Merry Middle School has class sizes larger than 96% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Central Merry Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Jackson, TN.
School address
District: Madison County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470258002664 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.1:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jackson Central Merry Middle School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jackson Central Merry Middle School
Jackson Central Merry Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Jackson, Tennessee, enrolling 463 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.1:1 is larger than about 96% of Tennessee schools and 51% above the 15.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
With 463 students, its enrollment sits close to the Tennessee median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by African American (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 232 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.3% 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.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Jackson's middle schools, it stands alongside Northeast Middle School (804 students): Jackson Central Merry Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.1:1 vs 17.1:1).
Madison County also operates North Side High School (903 students) and Northeast Middle School (804 students) alongside Jackson Central Merry 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 Jackson Central Merry Middle School compares
Jackson Central Merry Middle 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 | 23.1:1 | ▲ 51% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 463 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.1:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
463
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
23.1:1
students per teacher
- 51% above state mean
Top 96% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
36.3%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 232 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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 67.2%
Hispanic or Latino 21.2%
Two or More 6.7%
White 3.9%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 67.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.7, Jackson Central Merry Middle School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison County, which includes Jackson Central Merry Middle 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 Middle 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 Middle 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 middle schools in Jackson
3 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 Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~463 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jackson Central Merry Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Jackson Central Merry Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Jackson Central Merry Middle School?
Jackson Central Merry Middle School has 463 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jackson, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jackson Central Merry Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jackson Central Merry Middle School is 23.1:1, which is 51% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 47% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jackson Central Merry Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Jackson Central Merry Middle School is African American at 67.2% of enrollment, in Jackson, TN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jackson Central Merry Middle School?
Jackson Central Merry Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Jackson Central Merry Middle School rank among middle schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Central Merry Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle 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 middle schools in Jackson on the city page.
Is Jackson Central Merry Middle School a good school?
Jackson Central Merry Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Middle 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.