Enrollment
908
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbus, IN
Northside Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Northside Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 180036000076
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northside Middle School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #9 of 15
- public schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 43.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Northside Middle School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northside Middle School ranks #9 of 15 public schools in Columbus, IN.
School address
District: Bartholomew Con School Corp · Indiana
NCES ID 180036000076 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northside Middle School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northside Middle School
Northside Middle School is a large middle school in Columbus, Indiana, enrolling 908 students.
At 15.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Indiana median, within a few percentage points of the 15.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.8% lands close to the Indiana typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Indiana, bigger than 90% of state schools at 908 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Against 266 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #173.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 454 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Columbus's middle schools, it stands alongside Central Middle School (790 students): Northside Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.9:1 vs 14.1:1).
Bartholomew Con School Corp also operates Columbus North High School (2,360 students) and Columbus East High School (1,452 students) alongside Northside 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 Northside Middle School compares
Northside Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▼ 0% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.8% | ▼ 12% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 908 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
908
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 58% in Indiana - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.2%
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
$11,632
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
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 454 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
108
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.5 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 64.5%
Hispanic or Latino 26.4%
Asian 3.7%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.1, Northside Middle School is more mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bartholomew Con School Corp, which includes Northside Middle School.
$11,632
Per student
-4%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.5%
State 52.0%
Federal 12.5%
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 Northside Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus North High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbus East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southside Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parkside Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northside Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,360
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,452
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~908 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northside Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Northside Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Bartholomew Con School Corp'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 Northside Middle School
How many students attend Northside Middle School?
Northside Middle School has 908 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbus, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northside Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northside Middle School is 15.9:1, which is 0% higher than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northside Middle School?
43.8% of students at Northside Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northside Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Northside Middle School is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Columbus, IN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northside Middle School?
Northside Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Northside Middle School rank among public schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Northside Middle School ranks #9 of 15 public schools in Columbus, IN. 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 Northside Middle School a good school?
Northside Middle School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana 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 Bartholomew Con School Corp?
Besides Northside Middle School, Bartholomew Con School Corp also operates Columbus North High School (2,360 students), Columbus East High School (1,452 students), and Southside Elementary School (891 students). See the Bartholomew Con School Corp 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.