Enrollment
670
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Gallatin, TN
Joe Shafer Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Joe Shafer Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 470402001213
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joe Shafer Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Gallatin · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 670
- students enrolled
Joe Shafer Middle School has class sizes near the Tennessee median. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joe Shafer Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Gallatin, TN.
School address
District: Sumner County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470402001213 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joe Shafer Middle School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joe Shafer Middle School
Joe Shafer Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Gallatin, Tennessee, enrolling 670 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 670 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 221 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 670 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 17 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gallatin's middle schools, it stands alongside Station Camp Middle School (904 students): Joe Shafer Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 16.1:1).
Sumner County also operates Gallatin Senior High School (1,644 students) and Beech Sr High School (1,477 students) alongside Joe Shafer 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 Joe Shafer Middle School compares
Joe Shafer 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 670 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
670
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 38% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,286
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 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
170
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 17 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
White 53.4%
African American 21.0%
Hispanic or Latino 19.1%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 53.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.1, Joe Shafer 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 Sumner County, which includes Joe Shafer Middle School.
$10,286
Per student
-5%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.0%
State 45.2%
Federal 12.8%
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 Joe Shafer Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin Senior High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beech Sr High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hendersonville High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portland High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Station Camp High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Joe Shafer Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,644
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,477
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,410
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,151
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,137
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle schools in Gallatin
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 (~670 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joe Shafer Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Joe Shafer Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Sumner 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 Joe Shafer Middle School
How many students attend Joe Shafer Middle School?
Joe Shafer Middle School has 670 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Gallatin, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joe Shafer Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Joe Shafer Middle School is 14:1, which is 8% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joe Shafer Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Joe Shafer Middle School is White at 53.4% of enrollment, in Gallatin, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joe Shafer Middle School?
Joe Shafer Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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).
How does Joe Shafer Middle School rank among middle schools in Gallatin?
By Resource Investment Index, Joe Shafer Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Gallatin, 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 Gallatin on the city page.
Is Joe Shafer Middle School a good school?
Joe Shafer Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Sumner County?
Besides Joe Shafer Middle School, Sumner County also operates Gallatin Senior High School (1,644 students), Beech Sr High School (1,477 students), and Hendersonville High School (1,410 students). See the Sumner 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.