Enrollment
797
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Somerset, KY
Northern Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Northern Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 210495001573
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northern Middle School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky median.
- #12 of 14
- public schools in Somerset · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 60.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Northern Middle School has class sizes near the Kentucky median. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northern Middle School ranks #12 of 14 public schools in Somerset, KY.
School address
District: Pulaski County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210495001573 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.0%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northern Middle School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northern Middle School
Northern Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Somerset, Kentucky, enrolling 797 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.0% lands close to the Kentucky typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 797 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Among 335 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Kentucky schools statewide, it ranks #291, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 797 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 181 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 797 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Somerset's middle schools, it stands alongside Southern Middle School (871 students): Northern Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.3:1 vs 17.4:1).
Pulaski County also operates Southwestern High School (1,213 students) and Pulaski County High School (1,113 students) alongside Northern 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 Northern Middle School compares
Northern Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.3:1 | ▲ 7% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.0% | ▲ 1% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 797 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
797
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 68% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.2%
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
$11,722
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
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 797 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
147
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.7 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 87.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Two or More 4.4%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 87.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.5, Northern Middle School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pulaski County, which includes Northern Middle School.
$11,722
Per student
-11%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.0%
State 56.3%
Federal 17.7%
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 Northern Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pulaski County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Hill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northern Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,213
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,113
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 871
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 611
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 551
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle schools in Somerset
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 Kentucky, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~797 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northern Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Northern Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Pulaski County'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 Northern Middle School
How many students attend Northern Middle School?
Northern Middle School has 797 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Somerset, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northern Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northern Middle School is 16.3:1, which is 7% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northern Middle School?
60.0% of students at Northern Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northern Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Northern Middle School is White at 87.7% of enrollment, in Somerset, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northern Middle School?
Northern Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Northern Middle School rank among public schools in Somerset?
By Resource Investment Index, Northern Middle School ranks #12 of 14 public schools in Somerset, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Somerset on the city page.
Is Northern Middle School a good school?
Northern Middle School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Kentucky 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 Pulaski County?
Besides Northern Middle School, Pulaski County also operates Southwestern High School (1,213 students), Pulaski County High School (1,113 students), and Southern Middle School (871 students). See the Pulaski County 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.