Enrollment
446
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sylacauga, AL
Nicholslawson Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Nicholslawson Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010312002100
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nicholslawson Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Sylacauga · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 63.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Nicholslawson Middle School has class sizes smaller than 88% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nicholslawson Middle School ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Sylacauga, AL.
School address
District: Sylacauga City · Alabama
NCES ID 010312002100 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.2%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nicholslawson Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nicholslawson Middle School
Nicholslawson Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Sylacauga, Alabama, enrolling 446 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.4:1, Nicholslawson Middle School is leaner than roughly 88% of Alabama schools and 19% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.2% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 446 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 455 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #147.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and African American (41%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 223 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 23.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 223 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 446 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Sylacauga City also operates Sylacauga High School (627 students) and Indian Valley Elementary School (477 students) alongside Nicholslawson 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 Nicholslawson Middle School compares
Nicholslawson 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 | 14.4:1 | ▼ 19% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.2% | ▲ 7% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 446 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
446
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 12% in Alabama - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.7%
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
$12,047
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 223 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
173
in-school suspensions + 50 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 38.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.0 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 48.2%
African American 40.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 4.9%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 48.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.7, Nicholslawson Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sylacauga City, which includes Nicholslawson Middle School.
$12,047
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.5%
State 53.5%
Federal 23.0%
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 Nicholslawson Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylacauga High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indian Valley Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pinecrest Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nicholslawson Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 477
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 426
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~446 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nicholslawson Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Nicholslawson Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Sylacauga 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 Nicholslawson Middle School
How many students attend Nicholslawson Middle School?
Nicholslawson Middle School has 446 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sylacauga, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nicholslawson Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Nicholslawson Middle School is 14.4:1, which is 19% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 8% 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 Nicholslawson Middle School?
63.2% of students at Nicholslawson Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nicholslawson Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Nicholslawson Middle School is White at 48.2% of enrollment, in Sylacauga, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nicholslawson Middle School?
Nicholslawson Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Nicholslawson Middle School rank among public schools in Sylacauga?
By Resource Investment Index, Nicholslawson Middle School ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Sylacauga, 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 Sylacauga on the city page.
Is Nicholslawson Middle School a good school?
Nicholslawson Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Alabama 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 Sylacauga City?
Besides Nicholslawson Middle School, Sylacauga City also operates Sylacauga High School (627 students), Indian Valley Elementary School (477 students), and Pinecrest Elementary School (426 students). See the Sylacauga 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.