Enrollment
459
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ripley, MS
Ripley Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ripley Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280411000779
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ripley Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Mississippi schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Ripley · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 72.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ripley Middle School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ripley Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Ripley, MS.
School address
District: South Tippah School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280411000779 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.7%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ripley Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ripley Middle School
Ripley Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Ripley, Mississippi, enrolling 459 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 72.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 459 students, its enrollment sits close to the Mississippi median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 160 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #38.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and African American (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 459 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 24.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 165 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 459 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Ripley's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ripley Elementary School (611 students): Ripley Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.4:1 vs 10.9:1).
South Tippah School Dist also operates Ripley Elementary School (611 students) and Pine Grove High School (573 students) alongside Ripley 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 Ripley Middle School compares
Ripley 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 7% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.7% | ▼ 10% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 459 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
459
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 37% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 63% 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
$10,828
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 459 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
127
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 27.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.9 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 51.0%
African American 22.2%
Hispanic or Latino 18.3%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 51.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.0, Ripley Middle School is more mixed than the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Tippah School Dist, which includes Ripley Middle School.
$10,828
Per student
-10%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.2%
State 56.2%
Federal 24.6%
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 Ripley Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ripley Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pine Grove High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ripley High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blue Mountain High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ripley Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 611
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 573
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 295
- Students per teacher
- 8.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Ripley
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~459 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ripley Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ripley Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- South Tippah School Dist'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 Ripley Middle School
How many students attend Ripley Middle School?
Ripley Middle School has 459 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ripley, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ripley Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ripley Middle School is 12.4:1, which is 7% lower than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 21% 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 Ripley Middle School?
72.7% of students at Ripley Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ripley Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ripley Middle School is White at 51.0% of enrollment, in Ripley, MS. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ripley Middle School?
Ripley Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Ripley Middle School rank among public schools in Ripley?
By Resource Investment Index, Ripley Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Ripley, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ripley on the city page.
Is Ripley Middle School a good school?
Ripley Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median. It is also more 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 South Tippah School Dist?
Besides Ripley Middle School, South Tippah School Dist also operates Ripley Elementary School (611 students), Pine Grove High School (573 students), and Ripley High School (465 students). See the South Tippah School Dist 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.