Enrollment
612
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Vine Grove, KY
James T Alton Middle School
Federal NCES profile for James T Alton 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 210249000518
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James T Alton Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 42.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 612
- students enrolled
James T Alton Middle School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Hardin County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210249000518 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.2%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James T Alton Middle School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at James T Alton Middle School
James T Alton Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Vine Grove, Kentucky, enrolling 612 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 42.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 612 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 306 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #54.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and African American (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 306 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 196 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 612 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Hardin County also operates Central Hardin High School (1,831 students) and North Hardin High School (1,593 students) alongside James T Alton 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 James T Alton Middle School compares
James T Alton Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.1:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.2% | ▼ 29% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 612 | top 23% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
612
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
42.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 65% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,904
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
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 306 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
127
in-school suspensions + 69 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 32.0 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 58.2%
African American 14.7%
Two or More 13.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
Asian 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 58.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.0, James T Alton Middle School is more mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hardin County, which includes James T Alton Middle School.
$11,904
Per student
-10%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.3%
State 53.0%
Federal 17.7%
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 James T Alton Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Hardin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Hardin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Hardin High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Hardin Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Trail Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James T Alton Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,831
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,593
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 868
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 775
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kentucky, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~612 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James T Alton Middle School's federal record.
- Compare James T Alton Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Hardin 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 James T Alton Middle School
How many students attend James T Alton Middle School?
James T Alton Middle School has 612 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Vine Grove, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James T Alton Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at James T Alton Middle School is 16.1:1, which is 6% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James T Alton Middle School?
42.2% of students at James T Alton Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James T Alton Middle School?
The largest demographic group at James T Alton Middle School is White at 58.2% of enrollment, in Vine Grove, KY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James T Alton Middle School?
James T Alton 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).
Is James T Alton Middle School a good school?
James T Alton Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky 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 Hardin County?
Besides James T Alton Middle School, Hardin County also operates Central Hardin High School (1,831 students), North Hardin High School (1,593 students), and John Hardin High School (868 students). See the Hardin 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.