Enrollment
390
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Huntsville, AL
Ronald Mcnair 78
Federal NCES profile for Ronald Mcnair 78, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010180002379
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ronald Mcnair 78 earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Alabama schools.
- #10 of 11
- middle schools in Huntsville · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.7:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 87.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ronald Mcnair 78 has class sizes larger than 93% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ronald Mcnair 78 ranks #10 of 11 middle schools in Huntsville, AL.
School address
District: Huntsville City · Alabama
NCES ID 010180002379 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.2%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ronald Mcnair 78 compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ronald Mcnair 78
Ronald Mcnair 78 is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Huntsville, Alabama, enrolling 390 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.7:1 is larger than about 93% of Alabama schools and 23% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 87.2% of students qualify for free meals, 48% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 390 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 204 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #168, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 187 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 390 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 30 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Huntsville's middle schools, it stands alongside Monrovia Middle School (988 students): Ronald Mcnair 78 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.7:1 vs 19.8:1).
Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students) and Huntsville High School (1,807 students) alongside Ronald Mcnair 78.
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 Ronald Mcnair 78 compares
Ronald Mcnair 78 on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.7:1 | ▲ 23% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.2% | ▲ 48% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 390 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
390
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 93% in Alabama - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
42.3%
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
$12,033
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 139 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 47.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 30 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 66.7%
Hispanic or Latino 24.9%
White 3.8%
Two or More 3.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.0, Ronald Mcnair 78 is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Huntsville City, which includes Ronald Mcnair 78.
$12,033
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 39.2%
Federal 17.2%
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 Ronald Mcnair 78 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgil Grissom High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Huntsville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Providence Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goldsmithschiffman Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ronald Mcnair 78's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,847
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,807
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,152
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar middle schools in Huntsville
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Monrovia Middle School
Standard public school
988 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Williams Middle School
Standard public school
659 students 20.6:1 students per teacher
Whitesburg Middle School
Standard public school
535 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Huntsville Junior High School
Standard public school
530 students 24.1:1 students per teacher
Challenger Middle School
Standard public school
425 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Morris Middle School
Standard public school
397 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~390 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ronald Mcnair 78's federal record.
- Compare Ronald Mcnair 78 against another school. Compare schools
- Huntsville City'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 Ronald Mcnair 78
How many students attend Ronald Mcnair 78?
Ronald Mcnair 78 has 390 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Huntsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ronald Mcnair 78?
The student-teacher ratio at Ronald Mcnair 78 is 21.7:1, which is 23% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ronald Mcnair 78?
87.2% of students at Ronald Mcnair 78 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ronald Mcnair 78?
The largest demographic group at Ronald Mcnair 78 is African American at 66.7% of enrollment, in Huntsville, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ronald Mcnair 78?
Ronald Mcnair 78 has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 Ronald Mcnair 78 rank among middle schools in Huntsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Ronald Mcnair 78 ranks #10 of 11 middle schools in Huntsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Huntsville on the city page.
Is Ronald Mcnair 78 a good school?
Ronald Mcnair 78 earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Alabama 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 Huntsville City?
Besides Ronald Mcnair 78, Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students), Huntsville High School (1,807 students), and Providence Elementary (1,152 students). See the Huntsville City 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.