Enrollment
635
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Braintree, MA
South Middle School
Federal NCES profile for South Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 250294000372
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Massachusetts schools.
- #6 of 10
- public schools in Braintree · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- large classes for Massachusetts
- 635
- students enrolled
South Middle School has class sizes larger than 86% of Massachusetts schools. Computed live against every Massachusetts school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle School ranks #6 of 10 public schools in Braintree, MA.
School address
District: Braintree · Massachusetts
NCES ID 250294000372 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 12.3:1 Massachusetts avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Middle School compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Middle School
South Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Braintree, Massachusetts, enrolling 635 students.
Class loads run heavy: 14.8:1 is larger than about 86% of Massachusetts schools and 20% above the 12.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 635 puts it in the larger third of Massachusetts schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,831 scored Massachusetts schools.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Asian (27%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 318 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Braintree spends $17,755 per pupil, 21% below the Massachusetts average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Braintree also operates Braintree High (1,694 students) and East Middle School (999 students) alongside South 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 Middle School compares
South Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Massachusetts and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 20% | 12.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 635 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
635
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 86% in Massachusetts - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$17,755
per pupil, district-wide
- below Massachusetts avg of $22,458
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 318 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 59.7%
Asian 27.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 2.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 59.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, South Middle School is more mixed than the Massachusetts school average of 47.3.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Braintree, which includes South Middle School.
$17,755
Per student
-21%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $22,458
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.0%
State 31.6%
Federal 9.3%
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 South Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braintree High | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hollis | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highlands | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,694
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 350
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Massachusetts, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~635 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Middle School's federal record.
- Compare South Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Braintree'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 School
How many students attend South Middle School?
South Middle School has 635 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Braintree, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Middle School is 14.8:1, which is 20% higher than the Massachusetts average of 12.3:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Middle School?
The largest demographic group at South Middle School is White at 59.7% of enrollment, in Braintree, MA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Middle School?
South Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 South Middle School rank among public schools in Braintree?
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle School ranks #6 of 10 public schools in Braintree, MA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Braintree on the city page.
Is South Middle School a good school?
South Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Massachusetts 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 Braintree?
Besides South Middle School, Braintree also operates Braintree High (1,694 students), East Middle School (999 students), and Liberty (367 students). See the Braintree 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.