Enrollment
484
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Meridian, MS
Northwest Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280291000569
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Junior High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #7 of 17
- public schools in Meridian · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest Junior High School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Junior High School ranks #7 of 17 public schools in Meridian, MS.
School address
District: Meridian Public Schools · Mississippi
NCES ID 280291000569 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest Junior High School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest Junior High School
Northwest Junior High School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Meridian, Mississippi, enrolling 484 students.
At 12.7:1, 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.
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 484 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 247 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #78.
Its student body is predominantly African American (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 242 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.2% 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 484 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Meridian's middle schools, it stands alongside Magnolia Middle School (440 students): Northwest Junior High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 12.9:1).
Meridian Public Schools also operates Meridian High School (1,253 students) and Magnolia Middle School (440 students) alongside Northwest Junior High 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 Northwest Junior High School compares
Northwest Junior High 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 5% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 484 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
484
Bigger than 60% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 41% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.6%
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
$12,633
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 242 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
66
in-school suspensions + 115 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 90.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
White 2.7%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.2, Northwest Junior High School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Meridian Public Schools, which includes Northwest Junior High School.
$12,633
Per student
+5%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.9%
State 38.9%
Federal 26.2%
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 Northwest Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meridian High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Magnolia Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| T J Harris Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Hills Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Poplar Springs Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,253
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 440
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar middle schools in Meridian
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 (~484 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Meridian Public Schools'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 Northwest Junior High School
How many students attend Northwest Junior High School?
Northwest Junior High School has 484 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Meridian, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Junior High School is 12.7:1, which is 5% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 19% 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 Northwest Junior High School?
100.0% of students at Northwest Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Junior High School is African American at 90.3% of enrollment, in Meridian, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Junior High School?
Northwest Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Northwest Junior High School rank among public schools in Meridian?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Junior High School ranks #7 of 17 public schools in Meridian, 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 Meridian on the city page.
Is Northwest Junior High School a good school?
Northwest Junior High School earns 45/100 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 Meridian Public Schools?
Besides Northwest Junior High School, Meridian Public Schools also operates Meridian High School (1,253 students), Magnolia Middle School (440 students), and T J Harris Elementary (434 students). See the Meridian Public Schools 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.