Enrollment
793
Illinois · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Rockford, IL
West Middle School
Federal NCES profile for West Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 173451005448
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois schools.
- #3 of 6
- middle schools in Rockford · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Illinois
- 793
- students enrolled
West Middle School has class sizes larger than 94% of Illinois schools. Computed live against every Illinois school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Middle School ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Rockford, IL.
School address
District: Rockford Sd 205 · Illinois
NCES ID 173451005448 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 14:1 Illinois avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Middle School compares with Illinois and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Middle School
West Middle School is a large middle school in Rockford, Illinois, enrolling 793 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.9:1 is larger than about 94% of Illinois schools and 35% above the 14:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Enrollment of 793 puts it in the larger third of Illinois schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 3,845 scored Illinois schools.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and White (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 264 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 93.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 620 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 793 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 24 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Rockford's middle schools, it stands alongside Rockford Envrnmntl Science Acad (1,108 students): West Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.9:1 vs 15.8:1).
Rockford Sd 205 also operates Guilford High School (2,216 students) and Jefferson High School (2,173 students) alongside West 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 West Middle School compares
West Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Illinois and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Illinois | Illinois avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.9:1 | ▲ 35% | 14:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 793 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
793
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 94% in Illinois - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
93.1%
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
$17,721
per pupil, district-wide
- above Illinois avg of $17,042
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 264 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
344
in-school suspensions + 276 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 43.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 78.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 24 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
African American 51.1%
White 19.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.8%
Two or More 11.3%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 51.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.8, West Middle School is more mixed than the Illinois school average of 38.9.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rockford Sd 205, which includes West Middle School.
$17,721
Per student
+4%
vs Illinois
Avg $17,042
+7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.0%
State 49.1%
Federal 13.0%
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 West Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Auburn High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rockford East High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rockford Envrnmntl Science Acad | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,216
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,173
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,957
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,719
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,108
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar middle schools in Rockford
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Rockford Envrnmntl Science Acad
Standard public school
1,108 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Eisenhower Middle School
Standard public school
963 students 20.5:1 students per teacher
Bernard W Flinn Middle School
Standard public school
807 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Abraham Lincoln Middle School
Standard public school
736 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Kennedy Middle School
Standard public school
393 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Illinois, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~793 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Middle School's federal record.
- Compare West Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Rockford Sd 205'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 West Middle School
How many students attend West Middle School?
West Middle School has 793 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Rockford, IL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Middle School is 18.9:1, which is 35% higher than the Illinois average of 14:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Middle School?
The largest demographic group at West Middle School is African American at 51.1% of enrollment, in Rockford, IL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Middle School?
West Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 West Middle School rank among middle schools in Rockford?
By Resource Investment Index, West Middle School ranks #3 of 6 middle schools in Rockford, IL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Rockford on the city page.
Is West Middle School a good school?
West Middle School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Illinois schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Illinois 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 Rockford Sd 205?
Besides West Middle School, Rockford Sd 205 also operates Guilford High School (2,216 students), Jefferson High School (2,173 students), and Auburn High School (1,957 students). See the Rockford Sd 205 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.