Enrollment
242
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jackson, MS
Northwest Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 75/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280219001155
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 84
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Middle School earns 75/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Mississippi schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #1 of 8
- middle schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 75
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11:1
- small classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest Middle School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Middle School ranks #1 of 8 middle schools in Jackson, MS.
School address
District: Jackson Public School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280219001155 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest Middle School
Northwest Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Jackson, Mississippi, enrolling 242 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
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.
Enrollment of 242 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 100% of the 877 Mississippi schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 206 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Mississippi schools statewide, it ranks #1, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 81 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Jackson's middle schools, it stands alongside Cardozo Middle School (531 students): Northwest Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11:1 vs 10.6:1).
Jackson Public School District also operates Murrah High School (1,259 students) and Forest Hill High School (1,139 students) alongside Northwest 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 Northwest Middle School compares
Northwest Middle 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 | 11:1 | ▼ 17% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 242 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
242
Bigger than 24% 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
11:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 17% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
3.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,155
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 81 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 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
African American 95.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
White 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 95.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.7, Northwest Middle School is less mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jackson Public School District, which includes Northwest Middle School.
$12,155
Per student
+1%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 39.7%
Federal 24.5%
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 Northwest Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murrah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Callaway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jim Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lanier High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,259
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,139
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 994
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 975
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 895
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Jackson
2 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 (~242 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Jackson Public School District'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 School
How many students attend Northwest Middle School?
Northwest Middle School has 242 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jackson, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Middle School is 11:1, which is 17% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 30% 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 School?
100.0% of students at Northwest Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Middle School is African American at 95.5% of enrollment, in Jackson, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Middle School?
Northwest Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 75/100 (higher 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 Middle School rank among middle schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Middle School ranks #1 of 8 middle schools in Jackson, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Jackson on the city page.
Is Northwest Middle School a good school?
Northwest Middle School earns 75/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Mississippi schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi 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 Jackson Public School District?
Besides Northwest Middle School, Jackson Public School District also operates Murrah High School (1,259 students), Forest Hill High School (1,139 students), and Callaway High School (994 students). See the Jackson Public School District 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.