Enrollment
286
Mississippi · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Union, MS
Union Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Union Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 280438001327
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Union · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 63.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Union Middle School has class sizes near the Mississippi median. Computed live against every Mississippi school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Union, MS.
School address
District: Union Public School Dist · Mississippi
NCES ID 280438001327 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 13.3:1 Mississippi avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.3%
vs 80.5% Mississippi avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Middle School compares with Mississippi and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Middle School
Union Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Union, Mississippi, enrolling 286 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Mississippi schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 63.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 286 puts it in the smaller third of Mississippi schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 877 scored Mississippi schools.
Against 71 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #18.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and African American (22%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 286 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 28.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 58 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 286 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Union Public School Dist also operates Union Elementary School (410 students) and Union High School (280 students) alongside Union 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 Union Middle School compares
Union Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Mississippi and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Mississippi | Mississippi avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▲ 8% | 13.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.3% | ▼ 21% | 80.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
286
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% below the Mississippi average of 80.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 69% in Mississippi - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.3%
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
$11,102
per pupil, district-wide
- below Mississippi avg of $11,990
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 286 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
41
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.3 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 73.8%
African American 21.7%
Two or More 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
Largest group: White at 73.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.7, Union Middle School is about as mixed as the Mississippi school average of 41.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union Public School Dist, which includes Union Middle School.
$11,102
Per student
-7%
vs Mississippi
Avg $11,990
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.4%
State 56.4%
Federal 28.2%
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 Union Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Union High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 280
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Mississippi, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~286 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Union Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Union Public School Dist'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 Union Middle School
How many students attend Union Middle School?
Union Middle School has 286 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Union, MS.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Middle School is 14.3:1, which is 8% higher than the Mississippi average of 13.3:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Union Middle School?
63.3% of students at Union Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Mississippi average of 80.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Union Middle School is White at 73.8% of enrollment, in Union, MS.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Middle School?
Union Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Union Middle School rank among public schools in Union?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Union, MS. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Union on the city page.
Is Union Middle School a good school?
Union Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Mississippi 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 Union Public School Dist?
Besides Union Middle School, Union Public School Dist also operates Union Elementary School (410 students) and Union High School (280 students). See the Union Public School Dist 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.