Enrollment
362
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Canton, MS
Nichols Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Nichols Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280090000103
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nichols Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Mississippi schools.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Canton · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.5:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Nichols Middle School has class sizes larger than 71% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nichols Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Canton, MS.
School address
District: Canton Public School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280090000103 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nichols Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nichols Middle School
Nichols Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Canton, Mississippi, enrolling 362 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the Mississippi typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 362 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 306 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #280, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Canton's middle schools, it stands alongside Huey L. Porter Middle School (356 students): Nichols Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 15.5:1).
Canton Public School Dist also operates Canton Public High School (884 students) and Canton Elementary School (411 students) alongside Nichols 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 Nichols Middle School compares
Nichols 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 9% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 362 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
362
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% above the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 71% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.2%
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
$11,408
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 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 66 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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 78.7%
Hispanic or Latino 17.1%
Two or More 3.3%
White 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 78.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.0, Nichols Middle School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Canton Public School Dist, which includes Nichols Middle School.
$11,408
Per student
-5%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.0%
State 36.8%
Federal 25.3%
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 Nichols Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton Public High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Canton Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mc Neal Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reuben B. Myers Canton School of Ar | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jimmie M. Goodloe Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nichols Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 884
- Students per teacher
- 28.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 411
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 385
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Canton
2 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 (~362 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nichols Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Nichols Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Canton Public 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 Nichols Middle School
How many students attend Nichols Middle School?
Nichols Middle School has 362 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Canton, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nichols Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Nichols Middle School is 14.5:1, which is 9% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nichols Middle School?
100.0% of students at Nichols Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nichols Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Nichols Middle School is African American at 78.7% of enrollment, in Canton, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nichols Middle School?
Nichols Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Nichols Middle School rank among middle schools in Canton?
By Resource Investment Index, Nichols Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Canton, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Canton on the city page.
Is Nichols Middle School a good school?
Nichols Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Mississippi 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 Canton Public School Dist?
Besides Nichols Middle School, Canton Public School Dist also operates Canton Public High School (884 students), Canton Elementary School (411 students), and Mc Neal Elementary School (385 students). See the Canton Public 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.