Enrollment
442
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lusby, MD
Southern Middle
Federal NCES profile for Southern Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240015001392
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland median.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Lusby · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 36.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern Middle has class sizes near the Maryland median. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Middle ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Lusby, MD.
School address
District: Calvert County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240015001392 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.3%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Middle compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Middle
Southern Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Lusby, Maryland, enrolling 442 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 442 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,382 scored Maryland schools.
Against 235 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #117.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 221 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Lusby's middle schools, it stands alongside Mill Creek Middle (436 students): Southern Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 14.1:1).
Calvert County Public Schools also operates Northern High (1,478 students) and Huntingtown High School (1,311 students) alongside Southern 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 Southern Middle compares
Southern Middle on the metrics families compare, against Maryland and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Maryland | Maryland avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.3% | ▼ 26% | 49.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 442 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
442
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% below the Maryland average of 49.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 40% in Maryland - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
43.0%
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
$21,252
per pupil, district-wide
- above Maryland avg of $20,446
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 221 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 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
White 58.4%
African American 21.0%
Two or More 11.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 58.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Southern Middle is more mixed than the Maryland school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Calvert County Public Schools, which includes Southern Middle.
$21,252
Per student
+4%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 54.8%
Federal 5.5%
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 Southern Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huntingtown High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calvert High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Patuxent High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northern Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,478
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,311
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,080
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 745
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle schools in Lusby
1 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 Maryland, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~442 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Middle's federal record.
- Compare Southern Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Calvert County Public Schools'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 Southern Middle
How many students attend Southern Middle?
Southern Middle has 442 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lusby, MD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Middle is 13.8:1, which is 5% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 12% 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 Southern Middle?
36.3% of students at Southern Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern Middle?
The largest demographic group at Southern Middle is White at 58.4% of enrollment, in Lusby, MD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Middle?
Southern Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Southern Middle rank among public schools in Lusby?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Middle ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Lusby, MD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lusby on the city page.
Is Southern Middle a good school?
Southern Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Maryland 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 Calvert County Public Schools?
Besides Southern Middle, Calvert County Public Schools also operates Northern High (1,478 students), Huntingtown High School (1,311 students), and Calvert High (1,080 students). See the Calvert County Public Schools 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.