Enrollment
797
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Eau Claire, WI
South Middle
Federal NCES profile for South Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 550405002297
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Wisconsin schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Eau Claire · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.5:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 29.1%
- free-lunch eligible
South Middle has class sizes smaller than 85% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Eau Claire, WI.
School address
District: Eau Claire Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550405002297 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
76.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.1%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Middle compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Middle
South Middle is a large middle school in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, enrolling 797 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.5:1, South Middle is leaner than roughly 85% of Wisconsin schools and 27% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 29.1% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wisconsin, bigger than 92% of state schools at 797 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 248 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #62.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 319 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Eau Claire's middle schools, it stands alongside Delong Middle (893 students): South Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.5:1 vs 12.1:1).
Eau Claire Area School District also operates North High (1,567 students) and Memorial High (1,558 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 Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.5:1 | ▼ 27% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.1% | ▼ 24% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 797 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
797
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 15% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.7%
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
$13,882
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 319 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.3 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 71.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Asian 7.8%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 3.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 71.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.4, South Middle is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Eau Claire Area School District, which includes South Middle.
$13,882
Per student
-7%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.5%
State 47.5%
Federal 12.0%
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.
How South Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Memorial High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Delong Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northstar Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robbins Elementary | Smaller | 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
- 1,567
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,558
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 893
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in Eau Claire
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~797 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Middle's federal record.
- Compare South Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Eau Claire Area 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
How many students attend South Middle?
South Middle has 797 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Eau Claire, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at South Middle is 10.5:1, which is 27% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 33% 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?
29.1% of students at South Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Middle?
The largest demographic group at South Middle is White at 71.7% of enrollment, in Eau Claire, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Middle?
South Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 middle schools in Eau Claire?
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Eau Claire, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Eau Claire on the city page.
Is South Middle a good school?
South Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Wisconsin 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 Eau Claire Area School District?
Besides South Middle, Eau Claire Area School District also operates North High (1,567 students), Memorial High (1,558 students), and Delong Middle (893 students). See the Eau Claire Area 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.