Enrollment
158
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Saltville, VA
Northwood Middle
Federal NCES profile for Northwood Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 67/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510352001411
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwood Middle earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Virginia.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Saltville · Resource Index
- 67
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.8:1
- small classes for Virginia
- 86.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwood Middle has class sizes smaller than 98% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Saltville, VA.
School address
District: Smyth County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510352001411 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.8:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
-37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwood Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwood Middle
Northwood Middle is a high-poverty, small middle school in Saltville, Virginia, enrolling 158 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.8:1, Northwood Middle is leaner than roughly 98% of Virginia schools and 37% under the state's 13.9:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 86.1% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of Virginia schools, with 158 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,868 Virginia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 83 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Virginia schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 7/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 158 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Smyth County Public Schools also operates Chilhowie Elementary (589 students) and Marion Senior High (563 students) alongside Northwood 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 Northwood Middle compares
Northwood Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.8:1 | ▼ 37% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.1% | ▲ 49% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 158 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.8:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
158
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Virginia average of 57.6%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8.8:1
students per teacher
- 37% below state mean
Top 2% in Virginia - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,836
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 158 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.1 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 96.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
Largest group: White at 96.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.4, Northwood Middle is less mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Smyth County Public Schools, which includes Northwood Middle.
$13,836
Per student
-6%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 58.5%
Federal 17.9%
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 Northwood Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilhowie Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marion Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Marion Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chilhowie High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Point Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwood Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 589
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 401
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 352
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~158 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwood Middle's federal record.
- Compare Northwood Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Smyth 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 Northwood Middle
How many students attend Northwood Middle?
Northwood Middle has 158 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Saltville, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwood Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwood Middle is 8.8:1, which is 37% lower than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 44% 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 Northwood Middle?
86.1% of students at Northwood Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwood Middle?
The largest demographic group at Northwood Middle is White at 96.2% of enrollment, in Saltville, VA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwood Middle?
Northwood Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 67/100 (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 Northwood Middle rank among public schools in Saltville?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwood Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Saltville, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Saltville on the city page.
Is Northwood Middle a good school?
Northwood Middle earns 67/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Virginia schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Virginia. 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 Smyth County Public Schools?
Besides Northwood Middle, Smyth County Public Schools also operates Chilhowie Elementary (589 students), Marion Senior High (563 students), and Marion Middle (401 students). See the Smyth 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.