Enrollment
807
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Albany, GA
Merry Acres Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Merry Acres Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130183000842
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merry Acres Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Albany · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.3:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Merry Acres Middle School has class sizes larger than 92% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merry Acres Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Albany, GA.
School address
District: Dougherty County · Georgia
NCES ID 130183000842 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merry Acres Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merry Acres Middle School
Merry Acres Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Albany, Georgia, enrolling 807 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.3:1 is larger than about 92% of Georgia schools and 27% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Georgia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 807 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,314 Georgia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 346 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #333, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 14/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 807 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Albany's middle schools, it stands alongside Albany Middle School (792 students): Merry Acres Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.3:1 vs 14.7:1).
Dougherty County also operates Westover High School (1,234 students) and Dougherty Comprehensive High School (1,191 students) alongside Merry Acres 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 Merry Acres Middle School compares
Merry Acres Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.3:1 | ▲ 27% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 65% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 807 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
807
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
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
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 92% in Georgia - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.3%
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
$16,262
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 807 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
46
in-school suspensions + 61 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.3 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 92.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
White 2.0%
Two or More 1.9%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 92.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.6, Merry Acres Middle School is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dougherty County, which includes Merry Acres Middle School.
$16,262
Per student
+17%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.8%
State 42.8%
Federal 27.4%
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 Merry Acres Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westover High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dougherty Comprehensive High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monroe High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Live Oak Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Albany Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merry Acres Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,234
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,191
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,189
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 833
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar middle schools in Albany
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 Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~807 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merry Acres Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Merry Acres Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Dougherty 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 Merry Acres Middle School
How many students attend Merry Acres Middle School?
Merry Acres Middle School has 807 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Albany, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merry Acres Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Merry Acres Middle School is 18.3:1, which is 27% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merry Acres Middle School?
100.0% of students at Merry Acres Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merry Acres Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Merry Acres Middle School is African American at 92.9% of enrollment, in Albany, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merry Acres Middle School?
Merry Acres Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Merry Acres Middle School rank among middle schools in Albany?
By Resource Investment Index, Merry Acres Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Albany, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Albany on the city page.
Is Merry Acres Middle School a good school?
Merry Acres Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia 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 Dougherty County?
Besides Merry Acres Middle School, Dougherty County also operates Westover High School (1,234 students), Dougherty Comprehensive High School (1,191 students), and Monroe High School (1,189 students). See the Dougherty 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.