Enrollment
1,063
Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Stafford, VA
Rodney E. Thompson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Rodney E. Thompson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 510366002548
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rodney E. Thompson Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Virginia schools.
- #4 of 5
- middle schools in Stafford · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Virginia
- 20.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Rodney E. Thompson Middle has class sizes larger than 81% of Virginia schools. Computed live against every Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rodney E. Thompson Middle ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Stafford, VA.
School address
District: Stafford County Public Schools · Virginia
NCES ID 510366002548 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 13.9:1 Virginia avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.1%
vs 57.6% Virginia avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rodney E. Thompson Middle compares with Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rodney E. Thompson Middle
Rodney E. Thompson Middle is a large middle school in Stafford, Virginia, enrolling 1,063 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.1% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the Virginia average.
Enrollment of 1,063 puts it in the larger third of Virginia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,868 scored Virginia schools.
Against 234 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #125.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 354 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
10.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Stafford's middle schools, it stands alongside H.H. Poole Middle (995 students): Rodney E. Thompson Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.9:1 vs 14.9:1).
Stafford County Public Schools also operates Mountain View High (2,233 students) and Brooke Point High (2,199 students) alongside Rodney E. Thompson Middle.
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 Rodney E. Thompson Middle compares
Rodney E. Thompson Middle on the metrics families compare, against Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Virginia | Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.1% | ▼ 65% | 57.6% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,063 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,063
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the Virginia average of 57.6%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in Virginia - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.8%
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
$12,415
per pupil, district-wide
- below Virginia avg of $14,649
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 354 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 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 45.0%
African American 21.4%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%
Two or More 8.4%
Asian 7.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 45.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, Rodney E. Thompson Middle is more mixed than the Virginia school average of 53.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Stafford County Public Schools, which includes Rodney E. Thompson Middle.
$12,415
Per student
-15%
vs Virginia
Avg $14,649
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.8%
State 52.1%
Federal 11.1%
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 Rodney E. Thompson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brooke Point High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stafford Senior High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Colonial Forge High | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| North Stafford High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rodney E. Thompson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,233
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 2,199
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 2,198
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,122
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 1,982
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar middle schools in Stafford
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
H.H. Poole Middle
Standard public school
995 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Stafford Middle
Standard public school
961 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Shirley C. Heim Middle
Standard public school
953 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Andrew G. Wright Middle
Standard public school
851 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,063 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rodney E. Thompson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Rodney E. Thompson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Stafford County Public Schools'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 Rodney E. Thompson Middle
How many students attend Rodney E. Thompson Middle?
Rodney E. Thompson Middle has 1,063 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Stafford, VA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rodney E. Thompson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Rodney E. Thompson Middle is 15.9:1, which is 14% higher than the Virginia average of 13.9:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rodney E. Thompson Middle?
20.1% of students at Rodney E. Thompson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Virginia average of 57.6%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rodney E. Thompson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Rodney E. Thompson Middle is White at 45.0% of enrollment, in Stafford, VA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rodney E. Thompson Middle?
Rodney E. Thompson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Rodney E. Thompson Middle rank among middle schools in Stafford?
By Resource Investment Index, Rodney E. Thompson Middle ranks #4 of 5 middle schools in Stafford, VA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Stafford on the city page.
Is Rodney E. Thompson Middle a good school?
Rodney E. Thompson Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Virginia 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 Stafford County Public Schools?
Besides Rodney E. Thompson Middle, Stafford County Public Schools also operates Mountain View High (2,233 students), Brooke Point High (2,199 students), and Stafford Senior High (2,198 students). See the Stafford County Public Schools 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.