Enrollment
1,002
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lexington, KY
Jessie M Clark Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Jessie M Clark Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 210186000391
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jessie M Clark Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Kentucky schools.
- #6 of 11
- middle schools in Lexington · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 31.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Jessie M Clark Middle School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jessie M Clark Middle School ranks #6 of 11 middle schools in Lexington, KY.
School address
District: Fayette County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210186000391 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
69.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.6%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jessie M Clark Middle School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jessie M Clark Middle School
Jessie M Clark Middle School is a large middle school in Lexington, Kentucky, enrolling 1,002 students.
At 14.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Kentucky median, within a few percentage points of the 15.2:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 31.6% free-meal eligibility runs 47% below the Kentucky average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Kentucky, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,002 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 103 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #74, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and African American (12%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 334 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Fayette County spends $15,849 per pupil, 20% above the Kentucky average, a better-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 235 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,002 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lexington's middle schools, it stands alongside Edythe Jones Hayes Middle School (1,125 students): Jessie M Clark Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 15.2:1).
Fayette County also operates Lafayette High School (2,370 students) and Bryan Station High School (2,030 students) alongside Jessie M Clark 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 Jessie M Clark Middle School compares
Jessie M Clark 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 | 14.5:1 | ▼ 5% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.6% | ▼ 47% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,002 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,002
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 43% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.2%
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
$15,849
per pupil, district-wide
- above Kentucky avg of $13,211
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 334 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
188
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.5 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 61.9%
African American 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%
Asian 8.0%
Two or More 7.9%
Largest group: White at 61.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.9, Jessie M Clark Middle School is more mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fayette County, which includes Jessie M Clark Middle School.
$15,849
Per student
+20%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.8%
State 35.5%
Federal 14.7%
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 Jessie M Clark Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bryan Station High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Henry Clay High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paul Laurence Dunbar High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Frederick Douglass High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jessie M Clark Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,370
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,939
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,828
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar middle schools in Lexington
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Edythe Jones Hayes Middle School
Standard public school
1,125 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Leestown Middle School
Standard public school
1,084 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Winburn Middle School
Standard public school
768 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Tates Creek Middle School
Standard public school
767 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Southern Middle School
Standard public school
759 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Bryan Station Middle School
Standard public school
744 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,002 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jessie M Clark Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Jessie M Clark Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Fayette 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 Jessie M Clark Middle School
How many students attend Jessie M Clark Middle School?
Jessie M Clark Middle School has 1,002 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lexington, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jessie M Clark Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jessie M Clark Middle School is 14.5:1, which is 5% lower than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 8% lower 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 Jessie M Clark Middle School?
31.6% of students at Jessie M Clark Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jessie M Clark Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Jessie M Clark Middle School is White at 61.9% of enrollment, in Lexington, KY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jessie M Clark Middle School?
Jessie M Clark Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Jessie M Clark Middle School rank among middle schools in Lexington?
By Resource Investment Index, Jessie M Clark Middle School ranks #6 of 11 middle schools in Lexington, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Lexington on the city page.
Is Jessie M Clark Middle School a good school?
Jessie M Clark Middle School earns 39/100 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 Fayette County?
Besides Jessie M Clark Middle School, Fayette County also operates Lafayette High School (2,370 students), Bryan Station High School (2,030 students), and Henry Clay High School (1,939 students). See the Fayette 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.