Enrollment
655
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Taneytown, MD
Northwest Middle
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240021000543
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 38.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 655
- students enrolled
Northwest Middle has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Carroll County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240021000543 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.9%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest Middle
Northwest Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Taneytown, Maryland, enrolling 655 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Maryland median, within a few percentage points of the 14.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 655 puts it in the larger third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 284 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #113.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 218 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Carroll County Public Schools spends $15,757 per pupil, 23% below the Maryland average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Carroll County Public Schools also operates Westminster High (1,477 students) and Manchester Valley High (1,339 students) alongside Northwest Middle.
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 Middle compares
Northwest Middle on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.2:1 | ▼ 2% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.9% | ▼ 21% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 655 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
655
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 46% in Maryland - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.1%
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
$15,757
per pupil, district-wide
- below Maryland avg of $20,446
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 218 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.6 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 75.6%
African American 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Two or More 4.3%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 75.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, Northwest Middle is less mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carroll County Public Schools, which includes Northwest Middle.
$15,757
Per student
-23%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.2%
State 37.6%
Federal 8.2%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westminster High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manchester Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Winters Mill High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Century High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,477
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,339
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,156
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,101
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,007
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~655 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Middle's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Carroll County 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 Middle
How many students attend Northwest Middle?
Northwest Middle has 655 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Taneytown, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Middle is 14.2:1, which is 2% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 10% 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 Middle?
38.9% of students at Northwest Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest Middle?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Middle is White at 75.6% of enrollment, in Taneytown, MD.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Middle?
Northwest Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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).
Is Northwest Middle a good school?
Northwest Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland 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 Carroll County Public Schools?
Besides Northwest Middle, Carroll County Public Schools also operates Westminster High (1,477 students), Manchester Valley High (1,339 students), and Winters Mill High (1,156 students). See the Carroll County 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.