Enrollment
412
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pinckard, AL
South Dale Middle School
Federal NCES profile for South Dale Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010105000393
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Dale Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.9:1
- students per teacher
- 74.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 412
- students enrolled
South Dale Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.4%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Dale Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Dale Middle School
South Dale Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Pinckard, Alabama, enrolling 412 students.
At 17.9:1, 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 74.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 412 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 369 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #167.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (34%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 412 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Dale County also operates Ariton School (887 students) and Gw Long Elementary School (492 students) alongside South Dale 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 South Dale Middle School compares
South Dale 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 | 17.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.4% | ▲ 27% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 412 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
412
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in Alabama - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.2%
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
$11,476
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 412 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
28
in-school suspensions + 53 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
White 51.9%
African American 33.7%
Two or More 7.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 51.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.9, South Dale Middle School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dale County, which includes South Dale Middle School.
$11,476
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.9%
State 64.6%
Federal 13.5%
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 South Dale Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ariton School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gw Long Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Midland City Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dale County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George W Long High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Dale Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 887
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 437
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar elementary 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 (~412 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Dale Middle School's federal record.
- Compare South Dale Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Dale County'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 South Dale Middle School
How many students attend South Dale Middle School?
South Dale Middle School has 412 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pinckard, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Dale Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Dale Middle School is 17.9:1, which is 1% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Dale Middle School?
74.4% of students at South Dale Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Dale Middle School?
The largest demographic group at South Dale Middle School is White at 51.9% of enrollment, in Pinckard, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Dale Middle School?
South Dale Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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).
Is South Dale Middle School a good school?
South Dale Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama 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 Dale County?
Besides South Dale Middle School, Dale County also operates Ariton School (887 students), Gw Long Elementary School (492 students), and Midland City Elementary School (478 students). See the Dale County 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.