Enrollment
389
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jackson, MS
Kirksey Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Kirksey Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280219001365
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kirksey Middle School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Mississippi schools.
- #2 of 9
- public schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.9:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Kirksey Middle School has class sizes larger than 93% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kirksey Middle School ranks #2 of 9 public schools in Jackson, MS.
School address
District: Jackson Public School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280219001365 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kirksey Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kirksey Middle School
Kirksey Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Jackson, Mississippi, enrolling 389 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.9:1 is larger than about 93% of Mississippi schools and 27% above the 13.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 389 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 306 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #26, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 195 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
15.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 78 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 389 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Jackson's middle schools, it stands alongside Cardozo Middle School (531 students): Kirksey Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.9:1 vs 10.6:1).
Jackson Public School District also operates Murrah High School (1,259 students) and Forest Hill High School (1,139 students) alongside Kirksey 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 Kirksey Middle School compares
Kirksey Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 27% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 389 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
389
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 93% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,155
per pupil, district-wide
- above Mississippi avg of $11,990
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 195 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 87.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
White 2.1%
Two or More 2.1%
Largest group: African American at 87.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.8, Kirksey Middle School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jackson Public School District, which includes Kirksey Middle School.
$12,155
Per student
+1%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 39.7%
Federal 24.5%
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 Kirksey Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murrah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Forest Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Callaway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jim Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lanier High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kirksey Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,259
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,139
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 994
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 975
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 895
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Jackson
1 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 Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~389 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kirksey Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Kirksey Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Jackson Public School District'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 Kirksey Middle School
How many students attend Kirksey Middle School?
Kirksey Middle School has 389 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jackson, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kirksey Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kirksey Middle School is 16.9:1, which is 27% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kirksey Middle School?
100.0% of students at Kirksey Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kirksey Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Kirksey Middle School is African American at 87.4% of enrollment, in Jackson, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kirksey Middle School?
Kirksey Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Kirksey Middle School rank among public schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, Kirksey Middle School ranks #2 of 9 public schools in Jackson, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Jackson on the city page.
Is Kirksey Middle School a good school?
Kirksey Middle School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Mississippi 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 Jackson Public School District?
Besides Kirksey Middle School, Jackson Public School District also operates Murrah High School (1,259 students), Forest Hill High School (1,139 students), and Callaway High School (994 students). See the Jackson Public School District 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.