Enrollment
509
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Watford City, ND
Watford City Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Watford City Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 381254000886
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 80
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Watford City Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Watford City · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- large classes for North Dakota
- 29.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Watford City Middle School has class sizes larger than 85% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Watford City Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Watford City, ND.
School address
District: Mckenzie Co 1 · North Dakota
NCES ID 381254000886 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.0%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Watford City Middle School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Watford City Middle School
Watford City Middle School is a large middle school in Watford City, North Dakota, enrolling 509 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 29.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Dakota, bigger than 90% of state schools at 509 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Against 62 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #18.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 102 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Mckenzie Co 1 also operates Fox Hills Elementary School (663 students) and Watford City High School (566 students) alongside Watford City 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 Watford City Middle School compares
Watford City Middle School on the metrics families compare, against North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 31% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.0% | ▲ 3% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 509 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
509
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 31% above state mean
Top 85% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.3%
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
$15,892
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 102 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.0 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 64.0%
Hispanic or Latino 26.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.1%
African American 1.6%
Two or More 1.6%
Asian 1.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.2%
Largest group: White at 64.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.0, Watford City Middle School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mckenzie Co 1, which includes Watford City Middle School.
$15,892
Per student
-14%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.6%
State 17.3%
Federal 13.1%
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 Watford City Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Hills Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Watford City High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Badlands Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wolves Center Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Watford City Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 538
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 30
- Students per teacher
- 30:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~509 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Watford City Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Watford City Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Mckenzie Co 1'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 Watford City Middle School
How many students attend Watford City Middle School?
Watford City Middle School has 509 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Watford City, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Watford City Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Watford City Middle School is 15.4:1, which is 31% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Watford City Middle School?
29.0% of students at Watford City Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Watford City Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Watford City Middle School is White at 64.0% of enrollment, in Watford City, ND. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Watford City Middle School?
Watford City Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Watford City Middle School rank among public schools in Watford City?
By Resource Investment Index, Watford City Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Watford City, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Watford City on the city page.
Is Watford City Middle School a good school?
Watford City Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota 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 Mckenzie Co 1?
Besides Watford City Middle School, Mckenzie Co 1 also operates Fox Hills Elementary School (663 students), Watford City High School (566 students), and Badlands Elementary School (538 students). See the Mckenzie Co 1 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.