Enrollment
513
New York · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Patchogue, NY
South Ocean Middle School
Federal NCES profile for South Ocean Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 362247003168
👥 S:T ratio 63
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Ocean Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of New York schools.
- #2 of 8
- public schools in Patchogue · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.3:1
- small classes for New York
- 50.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Ocean Middle School has class sizes smaller than 79% of New York schools. Computed live against every New York school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Ocean Middle School ranks #2 of 8 public schools in Patchogue, NY.
School address
District: Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District · New York
NCES ID 362247003168 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.3:1
vs 11.8:1 New York avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.6%
vs 56.2% New York avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Ocean Middle School compares with New York and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Ocean Middle School
South Ocean Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Patchogue, New York, enrolling 513 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of New York schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 50.6% lands close to the New York typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 513 students, its enrollment sits close to the New York median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 4,801 scored New York schools.
Against 808 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #100.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (54%) and White (34%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District also operates Patchogue-Medford High School (2,487 students) and Eagle Elementary School (680 students) alongside South Ocean 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 Ocean Middle School compares
South Ocean 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 | 9.3:1 | ▼ 21% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.6% | ▼ 10% | 56.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 513 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.3:1
Leaner classes than 92% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
513
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below 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
9.3:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 21% in New York - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.1%
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
$24,775
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
34
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.7 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
Hispanic or Latino 53.6%
White 34.3%
African American 5.7%
Two or More 4.7%
Asian 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.9, South Ocean Middle School is more mixed than the New York school average of 45.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District, which includes South Ocean Middle School.
$24,775
Per student
-6%
vs New York
Avg $26,410
+49%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 39.1%
Federal 10.6%
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 Ocean Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patchogue-Medford High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eagle Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Canaan Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Saxton Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oregon Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Ocean Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,487
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 680
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 545
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~513 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Ocean Middle School's federal record.
- Compare South Ocean Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Patchogue-Medford 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 Ocean Middle School
How many students attend South Ocean Middle School?
South Ocean Middle School has 513 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Patchogue, NY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Ocean Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Ocean Middle School is 9.3:1, which is 21% lower than the New York average of 11.8:1 and 41% 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 Ocean Middle School?
50.6% of students at South Ocean 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 Ocean Middle School?
The largest demographic group at South Ocean Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 53.6% of enrollment, in Patchogue, NY. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Ocean Middle School?
South Ocean Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Ocean Middle School rank among public schools in Patchogue?
By Resource Investment Index, South Ocean Middle School ranks #2 of 8 public schools in Patchogue, NY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Patchogue on the city page.
Is South Ocean Middle School a good school?
South Ocean Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of New York 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 Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District?
Besides South Ocean Middle School, Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District also operates Patchogue-Medford High School (2,487 students), Eagle Elementary School (680 students), and Canaan Elementary School (596 students). See the Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District district page for the complete list.
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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.