Enrollment
262
Massachusetts · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 251113002855
Van Sickle Academy — Springfield, MA
Federal NCES profile for Van Sickle Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 64
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 83
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Springfield · Massachusetts
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.1:1
vs 12.1:1 Massachusetts avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Sickle Academy compares with Massachusetts and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Van Sickle Academy reports 262 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 28.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 9.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 25% below the Massachusetts state mean of 12.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 43% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Counselor coverage works out to roughly 87 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 65.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Springfield spends $33,774 per pupil district-wide, above the Massachusetts average of $28,509 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 1.4% from local sources (property taxes), 79.9% from the state, and 18.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Van Sickle Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Massachusetts state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Massachusetts | Massachusetts avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.1:1 | ▼ 25% | 12.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Enrollment | 262 | top 22% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Staffing depth
9.1:1
students per teacher
— 25% below state mean
Top 10% in Massachusetts — lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
65.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$33,774
per pupil, district-wide
— above Massachusetts avg of $28,509
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 87 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 262 Top 22% in Massachusetts — larger than 78% of 1,831 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 28.0
Students per teacher 9.1:1 -25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible —
NCES ID 251113002855
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 78.2%
African American 9.2%
White 8.0%
Asian 2.3%
Two or More 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 78.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 87:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 65.3%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 37
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Springfield, which includes Van Sickle Academy.
$33,774
Per student
+18%
vs Massachusetts
Avg $28,509
+73%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 1.4%
State 79.9%
Federal 18.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,983
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,382
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,091
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Enrollment
- 966
- Students per teacher
- 7.9:1
- Enrollment
- 823
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
Similar middle schools in Springfield
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
John F Kennedy Middle
Standard public school
366 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Springfield Legacy Academy
Standard public school
299 students 9.4:1 students per teacher
Kiley Prep
Standard public school
298 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
Forest Park Middle
Standard public school
282 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Impact Prep at Chestnut
Standard public school
278 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Stem Middle Academy
Standard public school
269 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Van Sickle Academy
How many students attend Van Sickle Academy?
Van Sickle Academy has 262 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Springfield, MA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Sickle Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Sickle Academy is 9.1:1, which is 25% lower than the Massachusetts average of 12.1:1 and 43% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Sickle Academy?
The largest demographic group at Van Sickle Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 78.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Springfield, MA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Sickle Academy?
Van Sickle Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.