Enrollment
604
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbus, MS
New Hope Middle School
Federal NCES profile for New Hope Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280273001128
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
New Hope Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #11 of 12
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 62.3%
- free-lunch eligible
New Hope Middle School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, New Hope Middle School ranks #11 of 12 public schools in Columbus, MS.
School address
District: Lowndes Co School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280273001128 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.3%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How New Hope Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at New Hope Middle School
New Hope Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Columbus, Mississippi, enrolling 604 students.
At 13.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Mississippi median, within a few percentage points of the 13.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 62.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 604 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Among 179 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #157, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and African American (43%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 604 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Columbus's middle schools, it stands alongside Columbus Middle School (597 students): New Hope Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.1:1 vs 12.2:1).
Lowndes Co School Dist also operates New Hope Elementary School (1,191 students) and Caledonia Elementary School (1,070 students) alongside New Hope 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 New Hope Middle School compares
New Hope 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 2% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.3% | ▼ 23% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 604 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
604
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 47% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
44.5%
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
$10,038
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 604 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
30
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.3 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
White 50.8%
African American 42.7%
Two or More 4.0%
Hispanic or Latino 1.8%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 50.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.8, New Hope Middle School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lowndes Co School Dist, which includes New Hope Middle School.
$10,038
Per student
-16%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.4%
State 39.5%
Federal 16.2%
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 New Hope Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hope Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Caledonia Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Hope High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caledonia High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caledonia Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to New Hope Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,191
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,070
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 787
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 640
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle schools in Columbus
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 (~604 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on New Hope Middle School's federal record.
- Compare New Hope Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lowndes Co School Dist'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 New Hope Middle School
How many students attend New Hope Middle School?
New Hope Middle School has 604 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbus, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at New Hope Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at New Hope Middle School is 13.1:1, which is 2% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 17% lower 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 New Hope Middle School?
62.3% of students at New Hope Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of New Hope Middle School?
The largest demographic group at New Hope Middle School is White at 50.8% of enrollment, in Columbus, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for New Hope Middle School?
New Hope Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 New Hope Middle School rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, New Hope Middle School ranks #11 of 12 public schools in Columbus, 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 Columbus on the city page.
Is New Hope Middle School a good school?
New Hope Middle School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi 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 Lowndes Co School Dist?
Besides New Hope Middle School, Lowndes Co School Dist also operates New Hope Elementary School (1,191 students), Caledonia Elementary School (1,070 students), and New Hope High School (787 students). See the Lowndes Co School Dist 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.