Enrollment
642
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Muscle Shoals, AL
Muscle Shoals Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Muscle Shoals Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010252001059
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Muscle Shoals Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in Muscle Shoals · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 41.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Muscle Shoals Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Muscle Shoals Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Muscle Shoals, AL.
School address
District: Muscle Shoals City · Alabama
NCES ID 010252001059 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.2%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Muscle Shoals Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Muscle Shoals Middle School
Muscle Shoals Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, enrolling 642 students.
At 16.9:1, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 642 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 315 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #174.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 428 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
10.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Muscle Shoals City also operates Muscle Shoals High School (864 students) and Mcbride Elementary School (647 students) alongside Muscle Shoals 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 Muscle Shoals Middle School compares
Muscle Shoals 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 | 16.9:1 | ▼ 5% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.2% | ▼ 30% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 642 | top 26% | - | - |
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.
642
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 42% in Alabama - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.7%
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
$11,914
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 428 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
100
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.8 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
White 67.9%
African American 15.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.5, Muscle Shoals Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muscle Shoals City, which includes Muscle Shoals Middle School.
$11,914
Per student
-5%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.9%
State 53.6%
Federal 11.5%
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 Muscle Shoals Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcbride Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Howell Graves Preschool | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Park Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Muscle Shoals Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 236
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 234
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~642 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Muscle Shoals Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Muscle Shoals Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Muscle Shoals City'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 Muscle Shoals Middle School
How many students attend Muscle Shoals Middle School?
Muscle Shoals Middle School has 642 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Muscle Shoals, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Muscle Shoals Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Muscle Shoals Middle School is 16.9:1, which is 5% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 8% 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 Muscle Shoals Middle School?
41.2% of students at Muscle Shoals Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Muscle Shoals Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Muscle Shoals Middle School is White at 67.9% of enrollment, in Muscle Shoals, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Muscle Shoals Middle School?
Muscle Shoals Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Muscle Shoals Middle School rank among public schools in Muscle Shoals?
By Resource Investment Index, Muscle Shoals Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Muscle Shoals, 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 Muscle Shoals on the city page.
Is Muscle Shoals Middle School a good school?
Muscle Shoals Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Muscle Shoals City?
Besides Muscle Shoals Middle School, Muscle Shoals City also operates Muscle Shoals High School (864 students), Mcbride Elementary School (647 students), and Howell Graves Preschool (356 students). See the Muscle Shoals City 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.