Enrollment
913
Arkansas · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Searcy, AR
Southwest Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Southwest Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 051221001533
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwest Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Searcy · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 37.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwest Middle School has class sizes near the Arkansas median. Computed live against every Arkansas school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Middle School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Searcy, AR.
School address
District: Searcy School District · Arkansas
NCES ID 051221001533 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 13.6:1 Arkansas avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.6%
vs 59.2% Arkansas avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwest Middle School compares with Arkansas and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwest Middle School
Southwest Middle School is a large elementary school in Searcy, Arkansas, enrolling 913 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Arkansas schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 37.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Arkansas, bigger than 95% of state schools at 913 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,066 scored Arkansas schools.
Against 119 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #76.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 457 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 249 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 913 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Searcy School District also operates Searcy High School (1,220 students) and Ahlf Junior High School (576 students) alongside Southwest 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 Southwest Middle School compares
Southwest Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Arkansas and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Arkansas | Arkansas avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.6% | ▼ 36% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 913 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
913
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% below the Arkansas average of 59.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 66% in Arkansas - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.5%
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
$10,738
per pupil, district-wide
- below Arkansas avg of $12,251
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 457 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
144
in-school suspensions + 105 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.3 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 67.5%
African American 11.3%
Two or More 9.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Asian 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 67.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.4, Southwest Middle School is more mixed than the Arkansas school average of 40.4.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Searcy School District, which includes Southwest Middle School.
$10,738
Per student
-12%
vs Arkansas
Avg $12,251
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 35.7%
Federal 21.9%
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 Southwest Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Searcy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ahlf Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mcrae Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sidney Deener Elem. School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westside Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwest Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,220
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 421
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Arkansas, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~913 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwest Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Southwest Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Searcy 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 Southwest Middle School
How many students attend Southwest Middle School?
Southwest Middle School has 913 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Searcy, AR.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle School is 15.5:1, which is 14% higher than the Arkansas average of 13.6:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwest Middle School?
37.6% of students at Southwest Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Arkansas average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwest Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Southwest Middle School is White at 67.5% of enrollment, in Searcy, AR. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest Middle School?
Southwest Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Southwest Middle School rank among elementary schools in Searcy?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Middle School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Searcy, AR. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Searcy on the city page.
Is Southwest Middle School a good school?
Southwest Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Arkansas median. It is also one of the largest schools in Arkansas. 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 Searcy School District?
Besides Southwest Middle School, Searcy School District also operates Searcy High School (1,220 students), Ahlf Junior High School (576 students), and Mcrae Elementary School (445 students). See the Searcy School District 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.