Enrollment
336
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Birmingham, AL
Smith Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Smith Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010039000184
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smith Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools.
- #9 of 10
- middle schools in Birmingham · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 82.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Smith Middle School has class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smith Middle School ranks #9 of 10 middle schools in Birmingham, AL.
School address
District: Birmingham City · Alabama
NCES ID 010039000184 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.2%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smith Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smith Middle School
Smith Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Birmingham, Alabama, enrolling 336 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 82.2% of students qualify for free meals, 40% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 336 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.
Among 239 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #182, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 64.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 356 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 336 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Birmingham's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Mountain Middle School (1,168 students): Smith Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19.8:1 vs 20.9:1).
Birmingham City also operates Huffman High Schoolmagnet (1,094 students) and Parker High School (942 students) alongside Smith 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 Smith Middle School compares
Smith 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.2% | ▲ 40% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 336 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
336
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 82% in Alabama - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
64.0%
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
$13,890
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 336 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 343 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 106.0 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
African American 83.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
Two or More 2.7%
White 1.5%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 83.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.7, Smith Middle School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Birmingham City, which includes Smith Middle School.
$13,890
Per student
+11%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 43.8%
Federal 23.2%
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 Smith Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huffman High Schoolmagnet | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Parker High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glen Iris Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Huffman Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ramsay High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smith Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,094
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 942
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 827
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 779
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in Birmingham
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Oak Mountain Middle School
Standard public school
1,168 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Jones Valley Middle School
Standard public school
465 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Wilkerson Middle School
Standard public school
424 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
I3 Academy Phase 2
Standard public school
400 students 33.3:1 students per teacher
Huffman Middle School
Standard public school
384 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Bush Hills Steam Academy
Standard public school
370 students 16.8:1 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 (~336 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smith Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Smith Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Birmingham 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 Smith Middle School
How many students attend Smith Middle School?
Smith Middle School has 336 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Birmingham, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Smith Middle School is 19.8:1, which is 12% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Smith Middle School?
82.2% of students at Smith Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smith Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Smith Middle School is African American at 83.6% of enrollment, in Birmingham, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smith Middle School?
Smith 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 Smith Middle School rank among middle schools in Birmingham?
By Resource Investment Index, Smith Middle School ranks #9 of 10 middle schools in Birmingham, 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 Birmingham on the city page.
Is Smith Middle School a good school?
Smith Middle School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Birmingham City?
Besides Smith Middle School, Birmingham City also operates Huffman High Schoolmagnet (1,094 students), Parker High School (942 students), and Glen Iris Elementary School (827 students). See the Birmingham 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.