Enrollment
476
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sumiton, AL
Sumiton Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sumiton Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010345001325
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sumiton Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools.
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 68.8%
- free-lunch eligible
- 476
- students enrolled
Sumiton Middle School has class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Walker County · Alabama
NCES ID 010345001325 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sumiton Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sumiton Middle School
Sumiton Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Sumiton, Alabama, enrolling 476 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 476 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 417 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #359, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 476 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Walker County also operates Sumiton Elementary School (720 students) and Valley Junior High School (602 students) alongside Sumiton 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 Sumiton Middle School compares
Sumiton 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.8% | ▲ 17% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 476 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
476
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 82% in Alabama - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.5%
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
$12,315
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 476 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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 79.4%
African American 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
Two or More 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.1, Sumiton Middle School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walker County, which includes Sumiton Middle School.
$12,315
Per student
-1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.5%
State 57.8%
Federal 17.8%
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 Sumiton Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumiton Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Valley Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Curry Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dora High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carbon Hill Elementaryjunior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sumiton Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar elementary 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 (~476 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sumiton Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sumiton Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Walker 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 Sumiton Middle School
How many students attend Sumiton Middle School?
Sumiton Middle School has 476 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sumiton, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sumiton Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sumiton Middle School is 19.8:1, which is 12% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sumiton Middle School?
68.8% of students at Sumiton Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sumiton Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sumiton Middle School is White at 79.4% of enrollment, in Sumiton, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sumiton Middle School?
Sumiton Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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).
Is Sumiton Middle School a good school?
Sumiton Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama 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 Walker County?
Besides Sumiton Middle School, Walker County also operates Sumiton Elementary School (720 students), Valley Junior High School (602 students), and Curry Elementary School (550 students). See the Walker 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.