Enrollment
140
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lafayette, AL
John P Powell Middle School
Federal NCES profile for John P Powell Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010060000269
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John P Powell Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Lafayette · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.5:1
- students per teacher
- 90.7%
- free-lunch eligible
John P Powell Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John P Powell Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Lafayette, AL.
School address
District: Chambers County · Alabama
NCES ID 010060000269 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
90.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John P Powell Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at John P Powell Middle School
John P Powell Middle School is a high-poverty, small middle school in Lafayette, Alabama, enrolling 140 students.
At 17.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 90.7% of students qualify for free meals, 54% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of Alabama schools, with 140 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 39 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #8.
Its student body is led by African American (73%) and White (18%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 280 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 54 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 140 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Chambers County also operates Valley High School (692 students) and Fairfax Elementary School (689 students) alongside John P Powell 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 John P Powell Middle School compares
John P Powell Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▼ 1% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 90.7% | ▲ 54% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 140 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
140
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
90.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 52% in Alabama - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,053
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 22.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 38.6 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
African American 72.9%
White 17.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 2.1%
Largest group: African American at 72.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.1, John P Powell Middle School is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chambers County, which includes John P Powell Middle School.
$12,053
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.0%
State 55.7%
Federal 21.2%
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 John P Powell Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairfax Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| W F Burns Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huguley Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lafayette Eastside Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John P Powell Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 692
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 689
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 545
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 311
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~140 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John P Powell Middle School's federal record.
- Compare John P Powell Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Chambers 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 John P Powell Middle School
How many students attend John P Powell Middle School?
John P Powell Middle School has 140 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lafayette, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John P Powell Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at John P Powell Middle School is 17.5:1, which is 1% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 11% higher 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 John P Powell Middle School?
90.7% of students at John P Powell Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John P Powell Middle School?
The largest demographic group at John P Powell Middle School is African American at 72.9% of enrollment, in Lafayette, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John P Powell Middle School?
John P Powell Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 John P Powell Middle School rank among public schools in Lafayette?
By Resource Investment Index, John P Powell Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Lafayette, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lafayette on the city page.
Is John P Powell Middle School a good school?
John P Powell Middle School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama. 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 Chambers County?
Besides John P Powell Middle School, Chambers County also operates Valley High School (692 students), Fairfax Elementary School (689 students), and W F Burns Middle School (545 students). See the Chambers 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.