Enrollment
929
Texas · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Princeton, TX
Southard Middle
Federal NCES profile for Southard Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 483585013687
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southard Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas schools.
- #4 of 11
- public schools in Princeton · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 48.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Southard Middle has class sizes near the Texas median. Computed live against every Texas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southard Middle ranks #4 of 11 public schools in Princeton, TX.
School address
District: Princeton Isd · Texas
NCES ID 483585013687 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
65.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.7:1 Texas avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.4%
vs 61.9% Texas avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southard Middle compares with Texas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southard Middle
Southard Middle is a large middle school in Princeton, Texas, enrolling 929 students.
At 14.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Texas median, within a few percentage points of the 14.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 929 puts it in the larger third of Texas schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 8,960 scored Texas schools.
Against 997 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #455.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (33%) and White (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 929 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Princeton Isd spends $9,736 per pupil, 29% below the Texas average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 496 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 929 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Princeton Isd also operates Lovelady H S (1,388 students) and Princeton H S (1,262 students) alongside Southard 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 Southard Middle compares
Southard Middle on the metrics families compare, against Texas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Texas | Texas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.4% | ▼ 22% | 61.9% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 929 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
929
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the Texas average of 61.9%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 51% in Texas - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$9,736
per pupil, district-wide
- below Texas avg of $13,644
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 929 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
457
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 49.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 53.4 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 32.6%
White 27.8%
African American 26.7%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 32.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.7, Southard Middle is more mixed than the Texas school average of 44.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Princeton Isd, which includes Southard Middle.
$9,736
Per student
-29%
vs Texas
Avg $13,644
-41%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 52.4%
Federal 9.9%
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 Southard Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovelady H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Princeton H S | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lowe El | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mayfield El | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harper El | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southard Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,388
- Students per teacher
- 35.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,262
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 668
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Texas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~929 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southard Middle's federal record.
- Compare Southard Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Princeton Isd'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 Southard Middle
How many students attend Southard Middle?
Southard Middle has 929 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Princeton, TX.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southard Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Southard Middle is 14.3:1, which is 3% lower than the Texas average of 14.7:1 and 9% 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 Southard Middle?
48.4% of students at Southard Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Texas average of 61.9%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southard Middle?
The largest demographic group at Southard Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 32.6% of enrollment, in Princeton, TX. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southard Middle?
Southard Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Southard Middle rank among public schools in Princeton?
By Resource Investment Index, Southard Middle ranks #4 of 11 public schools in Princeton, TX. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Princeton on the city page.
Is Southard Middle a good school?
Southard Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Texas median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Texas 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 Princeton Isd?
Besides Southard Middle, Princeton Isd also operates Lovelady H S (1,388 students), Princeton H S (1,262 students), and Lowe El (675 students). See the Princeton Isd 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.