Enrollment
649
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Spanish Fort, AL
Spanish Fort Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Spanish Fort Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010027001888
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spanish Fort Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Spanish Fort · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 24.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Spanish Fort Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spanish Fort Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Spanish Fort, AL.
School address
District: Baldwin County · Alabama
NCES ID 010027001888 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spanish Fort Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spanish Fort Middle School
Spanish Fort Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Spanish Fort, Alabama, enrolling 649 students.
At 17.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.1% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 649 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 124 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #97, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (7%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 325 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 259 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 649 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Baldwin County also operates Daphne High School (1,639 students) and Fairhope High School (1,536 students) alongside Spanish Fort 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 Spanish Fort Middle School compares
Spanish Fort Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.1% | ▼ 59% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 649 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
649
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 46% in Alabama - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.2%
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
$11,999
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 325 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
168
in-school suspensions + 91 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 39.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 77.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Two or More 6.9%
African American 5.9%
Asian 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: White at 77.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.0, Spanish Fort Middle School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Baldwin County, which includes Spanish Fort Middle School.
$11,999
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.2%
State 37.3%
Federal 10.5%
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 Spanish Fort Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daphne High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairhope High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Foley High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robertsdale High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spanish Fort High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Spanish Fort Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,639
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,536
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,520
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,418
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~649 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spanish Fort Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Spanish Fort Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Baldwin County'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 Spanish Fort Middle School
How many students attend Spanish Fort Middle School?
Spanish Fort Middle School has 649 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Spanish Fort, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spanish Fort Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Spanish Fort Middle School is 17.1:1, which is 3% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 9% higher 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 Spanish Fort Middle School?
24.1% of students at Spanish Fort Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spanish Fort Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Spanish Fort Middle School is White at 77.2% of enrollment, in Spanish Fort, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spanish Fort Middle School?
Spanish Fort Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Spanish Fort Middle School rank among public schools in Spanish Fort?
By Resource Investment Index, Spanish Fort Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Spanish Fort, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Spanish Fort on the city page.
Is Spanish Fort Middle School a good school?
Spanish Fort Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama 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 Baldwin County?
Besides Spanish Fort Middle School, Baldwin County also operates Daphne High School (1,639 students), Fairhope High School (1,536 students), and Foley High School (1,520 students). See the Baldwin County 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.