Enrollment
704
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Jackson, MS
Powell Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Powell Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 280219000407
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Powell Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of Mississippi schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #8 of 8
- middle schools in Jackson · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22:1
- large classes for Mississippi
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Powell Middle School has class sizes larger than 99% of Mississippi schools. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Powell Middle School ranks #8 of 8 middle schools in Jackson, MS.
School address
District: Jackson Public School District · Mississippi
NCES ID 280219000407 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+65% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Powell Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Powell Middle School
Powell Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Jackson, Mississippi, enrolling 704 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22:1 is larger than about 99% of Mississippi schools and 65% above the 13.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
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 704 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 121 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #45.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 5/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 352 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Jackson's middle schools, it stands alongside Cardozo Middle School (531 students): Powell Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (22:1 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 Powell 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 Powell Middle School compares
Powell 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 | 22:1 | ▲ 65% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 24% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 704 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
704
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
22:1
students per teacher
- 65% above state mean
Top 99% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
21.6%
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
$12,155
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 352 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 97 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 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 97.3%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
White 0.9%
Two or More 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 97.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.3, Powell 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 Powell 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 Powell Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murrah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Forest Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Callaway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jim Hill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lanier High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Powell 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 (~704 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Powell Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Powell 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 Powell Middle School
How many students attend Powell Middle School?
Powell Middle School has 704 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Jackson, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Powell Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Powell Middle School is 22:1, which is 65% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 40% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Powell Middle School?
100.0% of students at Powell Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Powell Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Powell Middle School is African American at 97.3% of enrollment, in Jackson, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Powell Middle School?
Powell Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Powell Middle School rank among middle schools in Jackson?
By Resource Investment Index, Powell Middle School ranks #8 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 Powell Middle School a good school?
Powell Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% 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 Powell 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.