Enrollment
757
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lebanon, TN
Walter J. Baird Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Walter J. Baird Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 470237000867
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter J. Baird Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Tennessee schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #8 of 14
- public schools in Lebanon · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Tennessee
- 757
- students enrolled
Walter J. Baird Middle School has class sizes larger than 93% of Tennessee schools. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter J. Baird Middle School ranks #8 of 14 public schools in Lebanon, TN.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
+30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter J. Baird Middle School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter J. Baird Middle School
Walter J. Baird Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Lebanon, Tennessee, enrolling 757 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.9:1 is larger than about 93% of Tennessee schools and 30% above the 15.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 757 puts it in the larger third of Tennessee schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,838 scored Tennessee schools.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and African American (22%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 757 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 169 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 757 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lebanon's middle schools, it stands alongside Winfree Bryant Middle School (589 students): Walter J. Baird Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.9:1 vs 16.4:1).
Lebanon also operates Sam Houston Elementary (759 students) and Jones Brummett Elementary School (740 students) alongside Walter J. Baird 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 Walter J. Baird Middle School compares
Walter J. Baird Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Tennessee and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Tennessee | Tennessee avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.9:1 | ▲ 30% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 757 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
757
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 93% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,806
per pupil, district-wide
- below Tennessee avg of $10,822
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 757 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
80
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 49.9%
African American 21.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.3%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 49.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.0, Walter J. Baird Middle School is more mixed than the Tennessee school average of 38.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lebanon, which includes Walter J. Baird Middle School.
$10,806
Per student
0%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.5%
State 37.7%
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 Walter J. Baird Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jones Brummett Elementary School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Castle Heights Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Winfree Bryant Middle School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Coles Ferry Elementary | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter J. Baird Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 759
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 589
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 581
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle schools in Lebanon
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~757 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter J. Baird Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Walter J. Baird Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lebanon'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 Walter J. Baird Middle School
How many students attend Walter J. Baird Middle School?
Walter J. Baird Middle School has 757 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lebanon, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter J. Baird Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter J. Baird Middle School is 19.9:1, which is 30% higher than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter J. Baird Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Walter J. Baird Middle School is White at 49.9% of enrollment, in Lebanon, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter J. Baird Middle School?
Walter J. Baird Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Walter J. Baird Middle School rank among public schools in Lebanon?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter J. Baird Middle School ranks #8 of 14 public schools in Lebanon, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Lebanon on the city page.
Is Walter J. Baird Middle School a good school?
Walter J. Baird Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Tennessee schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee 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 Lebanon?
Besides Walter J. Baird Middle School, Lebanon also operates Sam Houston Elementary (759 students), Jones Brummett Elementary School (740 students), and Castle Heights Elementary (657 students). See the Lebanon 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.