Enrollment
505
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 251092001752
Michael E. Smith Middle School — South Hadley, MA
Federal NCES profile for Michael E. Smith Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 36/100.
👥 Class size 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 66
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: South Hadley · Massachusetts
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 12.1:1 Massachusetts avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Michael E. Smith Middle School compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Michael E. Smith Middle School reports 505 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 41.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 6% above the Massachusetts state mean of 12.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 19% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 168 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 41.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding South Hadley spends $22,149 per pupil district-wide, below the Massachusetts average of $28,509 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 54.2% from local sources (property taxes), 36.9% from the state, and 8.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Michael E. Smith Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Massachusetts state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 505 | top 64% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
12.8:1
students per teacher
— 6% above state mean
Top 67% in Massachusetts — lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
41.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,149
per pupil, district-wide
— below Massachusetts avg of $28,509
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 168 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 505 Top 64% in Massachusetts — larger than 36% of 1,831 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 41.0
Students per teacher 12.8:1 +6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 251092001752
Student demographics
White 74.7%
Hispanic or Latino 18.6%
Two or More 3.2%
African American 2.0%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 74.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 168:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 41.8%
In-school suspensions 23
Out-of-school suspensions 24
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Hadley, which includes Michael E. Smith Middle School.
$22,149
Per student
-22%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $28,509
+14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 36.9%
Federal 8.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Enrollment
- 271
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
Similar elementary schools in South Hadley
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Michael E. Smith Middle School
How many students attend Michael E. Smith Middle School?
Michael E. Smith Middle School has 505 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in South Hadley, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Michael E. Smith Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Michael E. Smith Middle School is 12.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.1:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Michael E. Smith Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Michael E. Smith Middle School is White at 74.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in South Hadley, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Michael E. Smith Middle School?
Michael E. Smith Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.