Enrollment
339
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Gadsden, AL
Sansom Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sansom Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010162000559
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sansom Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Gadsden · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 79.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sansom Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sansom Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Gadsden, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sansom Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sansom Middle School
Sansom Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Gadsden, Alabama, enrolling 339 students.
At 16.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 339 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 269 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #189.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 339 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 256 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 339 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Gadsden's middle schools, it stands alongside Gadsden Middle School (438 students): Sansom Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.9:1 vs 19:1).
Gadsden City also operates Gadsden City High School (1,361 students) and Gadsden Middle School (438 students) alongside Sansom 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 Sansom Middle School compares
Sansom Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▼ 5% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.0% | ▲ 34% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 339 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
339
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 42% in Alabama - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.4%
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
$12,669
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 339 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
145
in-school suspensions + 111 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 42.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 75.5 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 37.8%
African American 31.6%
Hispanic or Latino 25.4%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 37.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, Sansom Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gadsden City, which includes Sansom Middle School.
$12,669
Per student
+1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 57.1%
Federal 24.3%
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 Sansom Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gadsden Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Adams Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| W E Striplin Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Floyd Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sansom Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,361
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 433
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar middle schools in Gadsden
2 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 Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~339 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sansom Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sansom Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Gadsden 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 Sansom Middle School
How many students attend Sansom Middle School?
Sansom Middle School has 339 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Gadsden, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sansom Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sansom Middle School is 16.9:1, which is 5% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 8% higher 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 Sansom Middle School?
79.0% of students at Sansom Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sansom Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sansom Middle School is White at 37.8% of enrollment, in Gadsden, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sansom Middle School?
Sansom Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Sansom Middle School rank among middle schools in Gadsden?
By Resource Investment Index, Sansom Middle School ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Gadsden, 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 Gadsden on the city page.
Is Sansom Middle School a good school?
Sansom Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Gadsden City?
Besides Sansom Middle School, Gadsden City also operates Gadsden City High School (1,361 students), Gadsden Middle School (438 students), and Adams Elementary School (433 students). See the Gadsden 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.