Enrollment
285
Ohio · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jefferson, OH
Jefferson Area Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Jefferson Area Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 11/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 390458705392
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jefferson Area Junior High School earns 11/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Ohio schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Jefferson · Resource Index
- 11
- Resource Index · Lower
- 28.5:1
- large classes for Ohio
- 32.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Jefferson Area Junior High School has class sizes larger than 95% of Ohio schools. Computed live against every Ohio school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Area Junior High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Jefferson, OH.
School address
District: Jefferson Area Local · Ohio
NCES ID 390458705392 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.5:1
vs 18.2:1 Ohio avg
+57% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.0%
vs 31.6% Ohio avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jefferson Area Junior High School compares with Ohio and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jefferson Area Junior High School
Teacher staffing is the clearest operational constraint
Jefferson Area Junior High School's enrollment sits away from the most extreme size bands, but its reported student-teacher ratio is heavier than most Ohio schools. That isolates staffing load as a more useful concern than raw campus size. A high ratio does not establish weak teaching or outcomes, yet it can indicate less adult capacity per enrolled student. The remaining federal indicators show whether support staffing and program access offset that pressure.
The composite reveals a resource-side weakness
Jefferson Area Junior High School's free-meal eligibility sits closer to the broad Ohio middle than to an extreme, but its Resource Investment Index falls near the lower end of scored schools. That makes the composite itself the notable signal rather than student need. Inspecting the underlying factors matters here: a low score can result from thin counselor coverage, limited gifted access, attendance pressure, or heavier classroom staffing, and those are different operational problems.
Attendance is the dominant support signal
Jefferson Area Junior High School's 39.3% chronic-absence rate is more consequential than a generic staffing label: at least one quarter of students missed 10% or more of school days in the 2021-22 collection. That level can affect instruction, counseling demand, and continuity even when other reported resources look ordinary. The dataset records the scale of absence but not its causes, so it should prompt a current-year question rather than a conclusion about school management.
Jefferson Area Junior High School is a mid-sized middle school in Jefferson, Ohio, enrolling 285 students.
Class loads run heavy: 28.5:1 is larger than about 95% of Ohio schools and 57% above the 18.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 32.0% lands close to the Ohio typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 285 puts it in the smaller third of Ohio schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 3,574 Ohio schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 455 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Ohio schools statewide, it ranks #453, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 439 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Jefferson Area Local spends $11,185 per pupil, 24% below the Ohio average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Jefferson Area Local also operates Jefferson Elementary (654 students) and Jefferson Area Sr High School (427 students) alongside Jefferson Area Junior 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 Jefferson Area Junior High School compares
Jefferson Area Junior High School on the metrics families compare, against Ohio and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Ohio | Ohio avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 28.5:1 | ▲ 57% | 18.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.0% | ▲ 1% | 31.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 285 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
28.5:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
285
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Ohio average of 31.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
28.5:1
students per teacher
- 57% above state mean
Top 95% in Ohio - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
39.3%
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
$11,185
per pupil, district-wide
- below Ohio avg of $14,655
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 89.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Two or More 3.5%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 89.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.0, Jefferson Area Junior High School is less mixed than the Ohio school average of 35.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson Area Local, which includes Jefferson Area Junior High School.
$11,185
Per student
-24%
vs Ohio
Avg $14,655
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.6%
State 53.8%
Federal 8.7%
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 Jefferson Area Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Area Sr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rock Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Area Local Schools Online | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Jefferson Area Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 654
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 427
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 13/100
- Enrollment
- 313
- Students per teacher
- 24.1:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 6
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Ohio, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~285 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jefferson Area Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Jefferson Area Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson Area Local'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 Jefferson Area Junior High School
How many students attend Jefferson Area Junior High School?
Jefferson Area Junior High School has 285 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jefferson, OH.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Area Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jefferson Area Junior High School is 28.5:1, which is 57% higher than the Ohio average of 18.2:1 and 82% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jefferson Area Junior High School?
32.0% of students at Jefferson Area Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Ohio average of 31.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jefferson Area Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Jefferson Area Junior High School is White at 89.8% of enrollment, in Jefferson, OH.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jefferson Area Junior High School?
Jefferson Area Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 11/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Jefferson Area Junior High School rank among public schools in Jefferson?
By Resource Investment Index, Jefferson Area Junior High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Jefferson, OH. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Jefferson on the city page.
What other schools are in Jefferson Area Local?
Besides Jefferson Area Junior High School, Jefferson Area Local also operates Jefferson Elementary (654 students), Jefferson Area Sr High School (427 students), and Rock Creek Elementary School (313 students). See the Jefferson Area Local 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.