Enrollment
799
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbus, GA
Richards Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Richards Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130387001400
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richards Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Georgia schools.
- #5 of 10
- middle schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 96.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Richards Middle School has class sizes larger than 87% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richards Middle School ranks #5 of 10 middle schools in Columbus, GA.
School address
District: Muscogee County · Georgia
NCES ID 130387001400 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.6%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richards Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richards Middle School
Richards Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Columbus, Georgia, enrolling 799 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.4:1 is larger than about 87% of Georgia schools and 21% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 96.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 799 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 410 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #195.
Its student body is led by African American (49%) and White (25%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 400 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 276 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 799 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbus's middle schools, it stands alongside Veterans Memorial Middle School (681 students): Richards Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.4:1 vs 17.9:1).
Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students) and Shaw High School (1,162 students) alongside Richards 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 Richards Middle School compares
Richards Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.4:1 | ▲ 21% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.6% | ▲ 59% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 799 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
799
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 87% in Georgia - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.8%
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
$12,762
per pupil, district-wide
- below Georgia avg of $13,863
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 400 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
134
in-school suspensions + 142 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.5 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 48.8%
White 25.3%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 7.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 48.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.5, Richards Middle School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muscogee County, which includes Richards Middle School.
$12,762
Per student
-8%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.8%
State 43.0%
Federal 18.2%
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 Richards Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shaw High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbus High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardaway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jordan Vocational High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richards Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,405
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,162
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,040
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in Columbus
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Veterans Memorial Middle School
Standard public school
681 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Baker Middle School
Standard public school
631 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Arnold Middle School
Standard public school
582 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Rothschild Leadership Academy School
Standard public school
498 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Blackmon Road Middle School
Standard public school
478 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Eddy Middle School
Standard public school
448 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~799 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richards Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Richards Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Muscogee County'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 Richards Middle School
How many students attend Richards Middle School?
Richards Middle School has 799 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbus, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richards Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Richards Middle School is 17.4:1, which is 21% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Richards Middle School?
96.6% of students at Richards Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richards Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Richards Middle School is African American at 48.8% of enrollment, in Columbus, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richards Middle School?
Richards Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Richards Middle School rank among middle schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Richards Middle School ranks #5 of 10 middle schools in Columbus, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Richards Middle School a good school?
Richards Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Georgia 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 Muscogee County?
Besides Richards Middle School, Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students), Shaw High School (1,162 students), and Columbus High School (1,161 students). See the Muscogee County 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.