Enrollment
1,459
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Aldie, VA
Mercer Middle
Federal NCES profile for Mercer Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510225002450
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mercer Middle earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools.
- #4 of 10
- public schools in Aldie · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.4:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 16.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Mercer Middle has class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mercer Middle ranks #4 of 10 public schools in Aldie, VA.
School address
District: Loudoun County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510225002450 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
95.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mercer Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mercer Middle
Mercer Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Aldie, Virginia, enrolling 1,459 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.1% free-meal eligibility runs 72% below the Virginia average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Virginia, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,459 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 117 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #23.
Its student body is led by Asian (52%) and White (26%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 292 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Loudoun County Public Schools spends $18,953 per pupil, 29% above the Virginia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Aldie's middle schools, it stands alongside Willard Middle (1,684 students): Mercer Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 15.9:1).
Loudoun County Public Schools also operates Independence High (2,166 students) and Lightridge High (2,030 students) alongside Mercer Middle.
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 Mercer Middle compares
Mercer Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 11% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.1% | ▼ 72% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,459 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,459
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 74% in Virginia - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$18,953
per pupil, district-wide
- above Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 292 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
68
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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
Asian 52.4%
White 25.8%
African American 8.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Asian at 52.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.4, Mercer Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Loudoun County Public Schools, which includes Mercer Middle.
$18,953
Per student
+29%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.9%
State 27.1%
Federal 5.0%
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 Mercer Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lightridge High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Freedom High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Briar Woods High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John Champe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mercer Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,166
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,885
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,851
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Aldie
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 Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,459 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mercer Middle's federal record.
- Compare Mercer Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Loudoun County Public Schools'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 Mercer Middle
How many students attend Mercer Middle?
Mercer Middle has 1,459 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Aldie, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mercer Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Mercer Middle is 15.4:1, which is 11% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mercer Middle?
16.1% of students at Mercer Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mercer Middle?
The largest demographic group at Mercer Middle is Asian at 52.4% of enrollment, in Aldie, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mercer Middle?
Mercer Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Mercer Middle rank among public schools in Aldie?
By Resource Investment Index, Mercer Middle ranks #4 of 10 public schools in Aldie, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Aldie on the city page.
Is Mercer Middle a good school?
Mercer Middle earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Virginia 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 Loudoun County Public Schools?
Besides Mercer Middle, Loudoun County Public Schools also operates Independence High (2,166 students), Lightridge High (2,030 students), and Freedom High (1,885 students). See the Loudoun County Public Schools 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.