Enrollment
431
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cross City, FL
Ruth Rains Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ruth Rains Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 120045002154
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ruth Rains Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Cross City · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 72.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ruth Rains Middle School has class sizes near the Florida median. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ruth Rains Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Cross City, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.6%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ruth Rains Middle School compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ruth Rains Middle School
Ruth Rains Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Cross City, Florida, enrolling 431 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 72.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 431 puts it in the smaller third of Florida schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 3,996 scored Florida schools.
Against 673 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #402.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 431 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 173 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 431 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Dixie also operates Dixie County High School (791 students) and James M. Anderson Elementary School (563 students) alongside Ruth Rains 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 Ruth Rains Middle School compares
Ruth Rains Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▼ 13% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.6% | ▲ 40% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 431 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
431
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 38% in Florida - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
54.3%
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
$11,407
per pupil, district-wide
- above Florida avg of $11,167
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 431 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
71
in-school suspensions + 102 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 40.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dixie, which includes Ruth Rains Middle School.
$11,407
Per student
+2%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.9%
State 57.2%
Federal 24.9%
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 Ruth Rains Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dixie County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James M. Anderson Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Old Town Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kinder Cub School Inc | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ruth Rains Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 791
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 28.1:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 517
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 121
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~431 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ruth Rains Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ruth Rains Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Dixie'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 Ruth Rains Middle School
How many students attend Ruth Rains Middle School?
Ruth Rains Middle School has 431 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cross City, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ruth Rains Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ruth Rains Middle School is 15.4:1, which is 13% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 2% 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 Ruth Rains Middle School?
72.6% of students at Ruth Rains Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ruth Rains Middle School?
Ruth Rains Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Ruth Rains Middle School rank among public schools in Cross City?
By Resource Investment Index, Ruth Rains Middle School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Cross City, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cross City on the city page.
Is Ruth Rains Middle School a good school?
Ruth Rains Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Florida median. 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 Dixie?
Besides Ruth Rains Middle School, Dixie also operates Dixie County High School (791 students), James M. Anderson Elementary School (563 students), and Old Town Elementary School (517 students). See the Dixie 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.