Enrollment
568
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Tuscaloosa, AL
Westlawn Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Westlawn Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010336001268
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Westlawn Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Tuscaloosa · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 89.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Westlawn Middle School has class sizes larger than 72% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Westlawn Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Tuscaloosa, AL.
School address
District: Tuscaloosa City · Alabama
NCES ID 010336001268 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Westlawn Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Westlawn Middle School
Westlawn Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, enrolling 568 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 89.0% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 568 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 169 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 175 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 568 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Tuscaloosa's middle schools, it stands alongside Northridge Middle School (775 students): Westlawn Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.9:1 vs 16.5:1).
Tuscaloosa City also operates Northridge High School (1,153 students) and Paul W Bryant High School (1,134 students) alongside Westlawn 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 Westlawn Middle School compares
Westlawn Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.0% | ▲ 51% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 35% | - | - |
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.
568
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 72% in Alabama - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,947
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 284 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 152 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 30.8 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
African American 85.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
White 1.2%
Two or More 0.9%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 85.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.0, Westlawn Middle School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscaloosa City, which includes Westlawn Middle School.
$12,947
Per student
+4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 42.3%
Federal 18.0%
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 Westlawn Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Paul W Bryant High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eastwood Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Westlawn Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,153
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 22.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 796
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 775
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar middle schools in Tuscaloosa
3 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 Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~568 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Westlawn Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Westlawn Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscaloosa City'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 Westlawn Middle School
How many students attend Westlawn Middle School?
Westlawn Middle School has 568 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Tuscaloosa, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Westlawn Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Westlawn Middle School is 18.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Westlawn Middle School?
89.0% of students at Westlawn Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Westlawn Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Westlawn Middle School is African American at 85.9% of enrollment, in Tuscaloosa, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Westlawn Middle School?
Westlawn Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Westlawn Middle School rank among middle schools in Tuscaloosa?
By Resource Investment Index, Westlawn Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Tuscaloosa, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Tuscaloosa on the city page.
Is Westlawn Middle School a good school?
Westlawn Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Alabama 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 Tuscaloosa City?
Besides Westlawn Middle School, Tuscaloosa City also operates Northridge High School (1,153 students), Paul W Bryant High School (1,134 students), and Central High School (796 students). See the Tuscaloosa City 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.