Enrollment
975
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Brentwood, NY
South Middle School
Federal NCES profile for South Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 360528000258
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York median.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Brentwood · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 80.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Middle School has class sizes near the New York median. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Brentwood, NY.
School address
District: Brentwood Union Free School District · New York
NCES ID 360528000258 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.6%
vs 56.2% New York avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Middle School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Middle School
South Middle School is a high-poverty, large middle school in Brentwood, New York, enrolling 975 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the larger third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in New York, bigger than 91% of state schools at 975 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 441 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #70.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 325 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 55 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Brentwood Union Free School District also operates Brentwood High School (4,816 students) and Freshman Center (1,287 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 New York and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs New York | New York avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▲ 6% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.6% | ▲ 43% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 975 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
975
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% above the New York average of 56.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 66% in New York - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.4%
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
$24,214
per pupil, district-wide
- below New York avg of $26,410
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 325 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
113
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 55 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
Hispanic or Latino 88.0%
African American 7.5%
Asian 1.6%
White 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Two or More 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 88.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.9, South Middle School is less mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Brentwood Union Free School District, which includes South Middle School.
$24,214
Per student
-8%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+46%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.7%
State 62.2%
Federal 16.2%
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 South Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentwood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freshman Center | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southwest Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 4,816
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,287
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,108
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 975
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 18/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of New York, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~975 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Middle School's federal record.
- Compare South Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Brentwood Union Free School District'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 975 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Brentwood, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Middle School is 12.5:1, which is 6% higher than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Middle School?
80.6% of students at South Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the New York average of 56.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Middle School?
The largest demographic group at South Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 88.0% of enrollment, in Brentwood, NY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Middle School?
South Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 middle schools in Brentwood?
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle School ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Brentwood, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Brentwood on the city page.
Is South Middle School a good school?
South Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the New York 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 Brentwood Union Free School District?
Besides South Middle School, Brentwood Union Free School District also operates Brentwood High School (4,816 students), Freshman Center (1,287 students), and East Middle School (1,108 students). See the Brentwood Union Free School District 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.