Enrollment
1,319
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 130222002262
South Forsyth Middle School — Cumming, GA
Federal NCES profile for South Forsyth Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 69
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Forsyth County · Georgia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
74.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 14.5:1 Georgia avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
2.8%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-95% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Forsyth Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
South Forsyth Middle School reports 1,319 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 74.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 32% above the Georgia state mean of 14.5:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 20% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 2.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 95% below the Georgia average and 95% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 440 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 12.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Forsyth County spends $12,614 per pupil district-wide, below the Georgia average of $15,679 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 54.6% from local sources (property taxes), 38.4% from the state, and 7.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Forsyth Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Georgia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.1:1 | ▲ 32% | 14.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 2.8% | ▼ 95% | 60.7% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,319 | top 90% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
2.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 95% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.1:1
students per teacher
— 32% above state mean
Top 97% in Georgia — lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$12,614
per pupil, district-wide
— below Georgia avg of $15,679
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 440 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 1,319 Top 90% in Georgia — larger than 10% of 2,315 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 74.0
Students per teacher 19.1:1 +32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 2.8% -95% vs state
NCES ID 130222002262
Student demographics
Asian 57.1%
White 31.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 57.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 440:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 12.4%
In-school suspensions 17
Out-of-school suspensions 9
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Forsyth County, which includes South Forsyth Middle School.
$12,614
Per student
-20%
vs Georgia
Avg $15,679
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 54.6%
State 38.4%
Federal 7.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,249
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Enrollment
- 2,634
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,527
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,503
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Enrollment
- 2,457
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
Similar middle schools in Cumming
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Lakeside Middle School
Standard public school
1,513 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Hendricks Middle School
Standard public school
1,376 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Liberty Middle School
Standard public school
1,256 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
North Forsyth Middle School
Standard public school
1,164 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Otwell Middle School
Standard public school
1,062 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Vickery Creek Middle School
Standard public school
1,058 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about South Forsyth Middle School
How many students attend South Forsyth Middle School?
South Forsyth Middle School has 1,319 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cumming, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Forsyth Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Forsyth Middle School is 19.1:1, which is 32% higher than the Georgia average of 14.5:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Forsyth Middle School?
2.8% of students at South Forsyth Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Forsyth Middle School?
The largest demographic group at South Forsyth Middle School is Asian at 57.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Cumming, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Forsyth Middle School?
South Forsyth Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.