Middle school (grades 6-8) · Oakland, MD

Southern Middle School

Federal NCES profile for Southern Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 240036000675
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10058/100
👥 S:T ratio
53
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
71
📋 Attendance
37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Southern Middle School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Maryland schools.

#2 of 6
public schools in Oakland · Resource Index
58
Resource Index · Higher
11.7:1
small classes for Maryland
38.7%
free-lunch eligible

Southern Middle School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Maryland schools. Computed live against every Maryland school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Southern Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Oakland, MD.

School address

Oakland, MD 21550
District: Garrett County Public Schools · Maryland

NCES ID 240036000675 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+14 students YoY

Southern Middle School held near 448 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+14 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 37.1 → 36.1 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+14 students YoY 240036000675 · Oakland, MD Middle · SMALL · TRAD

434 enr · 11.7:1 · 38.7% lunch · RII 58

Nearest enrollment peer: Southern Garrett High School (870 students)

Southern Middle School held near 448 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+14 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 37.1 → 36.1 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Maryland schools → · Find another →

Southern Middle School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Southern Middle School reports 434 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Southern Middle School compares

Southern Middle School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Maryland and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Maryland Maryland avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 11.7:1 ▼ 19% 14.5:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 38.7% ▼ 21% 49.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 434 top 68% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
434
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
38.7%
free-lunch eligible - 21% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher - 19% below state mean
Top 17% in Maryland - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.3%
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
$19,520
per pupil, district-wide - above Maryland avg of $18,753
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 145 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Garrett County Public Schools reports $19,520 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Southern Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Southern Garrett High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Broad Ford Elementary Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Northern Garrett High School Similar size Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Northern Middle School Smaller Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Yough Glades Elementary Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Southern Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Garrett County Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide middle schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~434 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)

Frequently asked questions about Southern Middle School

How many students attend Southern Middle School?

Southern Middle School has 434 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Oakland, MD. CCD year-over-year: 434 (2022-23) → 448 (2023-24), nearly flat (+14).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at Southern Middle School is 11.7:1, which is 19% lower than the Maryland average of 14.5:1 and 25% 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 School?

38.7% of students at Southern Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Maryland average of 49.0%.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Middle School?

Southern Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Southern Middle School rank among public schools in Oakland?

By Resource Investment Index, Southern Middle School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Oakland, 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 Oakland on the city page.

What other schools are in Garrett County Public Schools?

Besides Southern Middle School, Garrett County Public Schools also operates Southern Garrett High School (870 students), Broad Ford Elementary (601 students), and Northern Garrett High School (439 students). See the Garrett County Public Schools district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .