Enrollment
812
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Opelika, AL
Opelika Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Opelika Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010258001071
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Opelika Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #5 of 12
- public schools in Opelika · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.1:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 68.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Opelika Middle School has class sizes smaller than 97% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Opelika Middle School ranks #5 of 12 public schools in Opelika, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Opelika Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Opelika Middle School
Opelika Middle School is a higher-need, large middle school in Opelika, Alabama, enrolling 812 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.1:1, Opelika Middle School is leaner than roughly 97% of Alabama schools and 32% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 812 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 255 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #122.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 301 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 288 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 812 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Opelika City also operates Opelika High School (1,590 students) and Southview Primary School (480 students) alongside Opelika 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 Opelika Middle School compares
Opelika Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.1:1 | ▼ 32% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.9% | ▲ 17% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 812 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
812
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 3% in Alabama - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.2%
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
$11,407
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.7 FTE
Per 301 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
197
in-school suspensions + 91 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.5 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
African American 50.5%
White 28.4%
Hispanic or Latino 18.3%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Two or More 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 50.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.1, Opelika Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Opelika City, which includes Opelika Middle School.
$11,407
Per student
-9%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.5%
State 46.5%
Federal 16.1%
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 Opelika Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opelika High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southview Primary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northside School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jeter Primary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carver Primary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Opelika Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,590
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 480
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 464
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~812 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Opelika Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Opelika Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Opelika City'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 Opelika Middle School
How many students attend Opelika Middle School?
Opelika Middle School has 812 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Opelika, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Opelika Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Opelika Middle School is 12.1:1, which is 32% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 23% 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 Opelika Middle School?
68.9% of students at Opelika Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Opelika Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Opelika Middle School is African American at 50.5% of enrollment, in Opelika, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Opelika Middle School?
Opelika Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Opelika Middle School rank among public schools in Opelika?
By Resource Investment Index, Opelika Middle School ranks #5 of 12 public schools in Opelika, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Opelika on the city page.
Is Opelika Middle School a good school?
Opelika Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama 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 Opelika City?
Besides Opelika Middle School, Opelika City also operates Opelika High School (1,590 students), Southview Primary School (480 students), and Northside School (464 students). See the Opelika City 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.