Enrollment
542
Missouri · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Manchester, MO
South Middle
Federal NCES profile for South Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 292358001553
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Middle earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri median.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Manchester · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.3:1
- students per teacher
- 18.1%
- free-lunch eligible
South Middle has class sizes near the Missouri median. Computed live against every Missouri school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Manchester, MO.
School address
District: Parkway C-2 · Missouri
NCES ID 292358001553 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 12.8:1 Missouri avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.1%
vs 46.1% Missouri avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Middle compares with Missouri and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Middle
South Middle is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Manchester, Missouri, enrolling 542 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Missouri schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.1% free-meal eligibility runs 61% below the Missouri average.
Enrollment of 542 puts it in the larger third of Missouri schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,313 scored Missouri schools.
Against 385 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #43.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Asian (14%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 271 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Parkway C-2 also operates South High (1,485 students) and West High (1,417 students) alongside South Middle.
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 Middle compares
South Middle on the metrics families compare, against Missouri and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Missouri | Missouri avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.3:1 | ▼ 12% | 12.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.1% | ▼ 61% | 46.1% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 542 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
542
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% below the Missouri average of 46.1%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 31% in Missouri - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,102
per pupil, district-wide
- above Missouri avg of $12,931
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 271 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.9 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 68.3%
Asian 14.4%
African American 7.2%
Two or More 5.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 68.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.3, South Middle is more mixed than the Missouri school average of 31.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Parkway C-2, which includes South Middle.
$14,102
Per student
+9%
vs Missouri
Avg $12,931
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 89.1%
State 4.2%
Federal 6.7%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,485
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,417
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,281
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 990
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Missouri, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~542 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Middle's federal record.
- Compare South Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Parkway C-2'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 Middle
How many students attend South Middle?
South Middle has 542 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Manchester, MO.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at South Middle is 11.3:1, which is 12% lower than the Missouri average of 12.8:1 and 28% 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 South Middle?
18.1% of students at South Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Missouri average of 46.1%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Middle?
The largest demographic group at South Middle is White at 68.3% of enrollment, in Manchester, MO. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Middle?
South Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher 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 South Middle rank among public schools in Manchester?
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Manchester, MO. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Manchester on the city page.
Is South Middle a good school?
South Middle earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Missouri 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 Parkway C-2?
Besides South Middle, Parkway C-2 also operates South High (1,485 students), West High (1,417 students), and Central High (1,281 students). See the Parkway C-2 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.