Enrollment
434
Maryland · 2024-25 NCES data
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
👥 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
District: Garrett County Public Schools · Maryland
NCES ID 240036000675 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 14.5:1 Maryland avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.7%
vs 49.0% Maryland avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Middle School compares with Maryland and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Middle School
Southern Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Oakland, Maryland, enrolling 434 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 434 puts it in the smaller third of Maryland schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 1,382 Maryland schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 242 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Maryland schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 145 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Garrett County Public Schools spends $27,740 per pupil, 36% above the Maryland average, a better-resourced district than most.
Garrett County Public Schools also operates Southern Garrett High School (870 students) and Broad Ford Elementary (601 students) alongside Southern 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 Southern Middle School compares
Southern Middle School on the metrics families compare, against 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 (what these measure)
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
$27,740
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
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.
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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Garrett County Public Schools, which includes Southern Middle School.
$27,740
Per student
+36%
vs Maryland
Avg $20,446
+67%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 60.1%
Federal 10.9%
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 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
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 299
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~434 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Southern Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Garrett 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 School
How many students attend Southern Middle School?
Southern Middle School has 434 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Oakland, MD.
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, counselor availability, attendance rates. 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.
Is Southern Middle School a good school?
Southern Middle School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Maryland 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 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.
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.