Enrollment
702
Kentucky · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Brandenburg, KY
Stuart Pepper Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Stuart Pepper Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 210405001029
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stuart Pepper Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Kentucky schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Brandenburg · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Kentucky
- 46.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Stuart Pepper Middle School has class sizes larger than 92% of Kentucky schools. Computed live against every Kentucky school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stuart Pepper Middle School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Brandenburg, KY.
School address
District: Meade County · Kentucky
NCES ID 210405001029 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 15.2:1 Kentucky avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.4%
vs 59.2% Kentucky avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stuart Pepper Middle School compares with Kentucky and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stuart Pepper Middle School
Stuart Pepper Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Brandenburg, Kentucky, enrolling 702 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.5:1 is larger than about 92% of Kentucky schools and 28% above the 15.2:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 702 puts it in the larger third of Kentucky schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,389 scored Kentucky schools.
Against 370 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #253.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 351 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Meade County spends $10,252 per pupil, 22% below the Kentucky average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 17.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 178 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 702 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Meade County also operates Meade County High School (1,512 students) and Barry Hahn Primary School (807 students) alongside Stuart Pepper 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 Stuart Pepper Middle School compares
Stuart Pepper Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Kentucky and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Kentucky | Kentucky avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 28% | 15.2:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.4% | ▼ 22% | 59.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 702 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
702
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% below the Kentucky average of 59.2%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 92% in Kentucky - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.9%
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
$10,252
per pupil, district-wide
- below Kentucky avg of $13,211
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 351 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
104
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.4 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 86.5%
Two or More 5.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
African American 2.0%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 86.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.6, Stuart Pepper Middle School is less mixed than the Kentucky school average of 34.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Meade County, which includes Stuart Pepper Middle School.
$10,252
Per student
-22%
vs Kentucky
Avg $13,211
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.6%
State 60.1%
Federal 17.3%
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 Stuart Pepper Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meade County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Barry Hahn Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| David T. Wilson Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Flaherty Primary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ekron Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stuart Pepper Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,512
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 807
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Kentucky, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~702 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stuart Pepper Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Stuart Pepper Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Meade 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 Stuart Pepper Middle School
How many students attend Stuart Pepper Middle School?
Stuart Pepper Middle School has 702 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Brandenburg, KY.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stuart Pepper Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Stuart Pepper Middle School is 19.5:1, which is 28% higher than the Kentucky average of 15.2:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Stuart Pepper Middle School?
46.4% of students at Stuart Pepper Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Kentucky average of 59.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stuart Pepper Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Stuart Pepper Middle School is White at 86.5% of enrollment, in Brandenburg, KY.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stuart Pepper Middle School?
Stuart Pepper Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Stuart Pepper Middle School rank among public schools in Brandenburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Stuart Pepper Middle School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Brandenburg, KY. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Brandenburg on the city page.
Is Stuart Pepper Middle School a good school?
Stuart Pepper Middle School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Kentucky 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 Meade County?
Besides Stuart Pepper Middle School, Meade County also operates Meade County High School (1,512 students), Barry Hahn Primary School (807 students), and David T. Wilson Elementary (529 students). See the Meade 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.