Enrollment
873
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Smyrna, TN
Rocky Fork Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Rocky Fork Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 470369002480
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rocky Fork Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #3 of 4
- middle schools in Smyrna · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 873
- students enrolled
Rocky Fork Middle School has class sizes near the Tennessee median. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rocky Fork Middle School ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Smyrna, TN.
School address
District: Rutherford County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470369002480 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rocky Fork Middle School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rocky Fork Middle School
Rocky Fork Middle School is a large middle school in Smyrna, Tennessee, enrolling 873 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 873 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 437 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Smyrna's middle schools, it stands alongside Rock Springs Middle School (1,152 students): Rocky Fork Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 16.7:1).
Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students) and Blackman High School (2,301 students) alongside Rocky Fork 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 Rocky Fork Middle School compares
Rocky Fork Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 873 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
873
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 69% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,141
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
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 437 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
White 37.2%
Hispanic or Latino 32.0%
African American 17.0%
Asian 8.6%
Two or More 5.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 37.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.0, Rocky Fork Middle School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rutherford County, which includes Rocky Fork Middle School.
$10,141
Per student
-6%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.9%
State 45.4%
Federal 12.7%
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 Rocky Fork Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stewarts Creek High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blackman High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverdale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Smyrna High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rockvale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rocky Fork Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,474
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,301
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,275
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle schools in Smyrna
3 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 Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~873 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rocky Fork Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Rocky Fork Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Rutherford 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 Rocky Fork Middle School
How many students attend Rocky Fork Middle School?
Rocky Fork Middle School has 873 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Smyrna, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rocky Fork Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rocky Fork Middle School is 16.2:1, which is 6% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rocky Fork Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Rocky Fork Middle School is White at 37.2% of enrollment, in Smyrna, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rocky Fork Middle School?
Rocky Fork Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Rocky Fork Middle School rank among middle schools in Smyrna?
By Resource Investment Index, Rocky Fork Middle School ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in Smyrna, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Smyrna on the city page.
Is Rocky Fork Middle School a good school?
Rocky Fork Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee 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 Rutherford County?
Besides Rocky Fork Middle School, Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students), Blackman High School (2,301 students), and Riverdale High School (2,275 students). See the Rutherford 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.