Enrollment
755
Tennessee · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Murfreesboro, TN
Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 470369002253
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Tennessee schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Murfreesboro · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 755
- students enrolled
Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School has class sizes near the Tennessee median. Computed live against every Tennessee school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Murfreesboro, TN.
School address
District: Rutherford County · Tennessee
NCES ID 470369002253 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 15.3:1 Tennessee avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School compares with Tennessee and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School
Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, enrolling 755 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of Tennessee schools by student-teacher ratio.
Enrollment of 755 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 (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 378 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 253 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 755 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Murfreesboro's middle schools, it stands alongside Blackman Middle School (1,727 students): Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 18.8:1).
Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students) and Blackman High School (2,301 students) alongside Whitworth-Buchanan 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 Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School compares
Whitworth-Buchanan 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 755 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
755
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 38% in Tennessee - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.8%
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
$10,141
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 378 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
193
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 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 39.3%
Hispanic or Latino 29.9%
African American 20.1%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 39.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, Whitworth-Buchanan 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 Rutherford County, which includes Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School.
$10,141
Per student
-6%
vs Tennessee
Avg $10,822
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.9%
State 45.4%
Federal 12.7%
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.
How Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stewarts Creek High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blackman High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverdale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Smyrna High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rockvale High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,474
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,301
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,275
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,266
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 2,126
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle schools in Murfreesboro
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 Tennessee, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~755 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Rutherford County'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 Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School
How many students attend Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School?
Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School has 755 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Murfreesboro, TN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School is 14:1, which is 8% lower than the Tennessee average of 15.3:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School is White at 39.3% of enrollment, in Murfreesboro, TN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School?
Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School rank among middle schools in Murfreesboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Murfreesboro, TN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Murfreesboro on the city page.
Is Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School a good school?
Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Tennessee median. 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 Rutherford County?
Besides Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School, Rutherford County also operates Stewarts Creek High School (2,474 students), Blackman High School (2,301 students), and Riverdale High School (2,275 students). See the Rutherford County 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.