Enrollment
1,619
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Atlanta, GA
Willis a. Sutton Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Willis a. Sutton 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 130012000107
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willis a. Sutton Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #12 of 18
- middle schools in Atlanta · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 29.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Willis a. Sutton Middle School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willis a. Sutton Middle School ranks #12 of 18 middle schools in Atlanta, GA.
School address
District: Atlanta Public Schools · Georgia
NCES ID 130012000107 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
106.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.5%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willis a. Sutton Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willis a. Sutton Middle School
Willis a. Sutton Middle School is a large middle school in Atlanta, Georgia, enrolling 1,619 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.5% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Georgia, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,619 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 192 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #123.
Its student body is led by African American (40%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 540 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Atlanta Public Schools spends $22,882 per pupil, 65% above the Georgia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 9 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Atlanta's middle schools, it stands alongside Sequoyah Middle School (1,713 students): Willis a. Sutton Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.3:1 vs 15.3:1).
Atlanta Public Schools also operates North Atlanta High School (2,368 students) and Midtown High School (1,696 students) alongside Willis a. Sutton 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 Willis a. Sutton Middle School compares
Willis a. Sutton Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.5% | ▼ 51% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,619 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,619
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 68% in Georgia - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.2%
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
$22,882
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 540 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 187 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 9 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 39.5%
White 27.0%
Hispanic or Latino 24.2%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 39.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.8, Willis a. Sutton Middle School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atlanta Public Schools, which includes Willis a. Sutton Middle School.
$22,882
Per student
+65%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 68.7%
State 15.6%
Federal 15.7%
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 Willis a. Sutton Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Atlanta High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Midtown High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Maynard Jackson High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benjamin E. Mays High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Frederick Douglass High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willis a. Sutton Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,368
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,696
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,549
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,338
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,296
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar middle schools in Atlanta
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Sequoyah Middle School
Standard public school
1,713 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Peachtree Middle School
Standard public school
1,214 students 15:1 students per teacher
David T Howard Middle School
Standard public school
1,073 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Sandtown Middle School
Standard public school
956 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Ridgeview Charter School
Standard public school
945 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Martin L. King Jr. Middle School
Standard public school
879 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,619 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willis a. Sutton Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Willis a. Sutton Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Atlanta Public Schools'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 Willis a. Sutton Middle School
How many students attend Willis a. Sutton Middle School?
Willis a. Sutton Middle School has 1,619 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Atlanta, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willis a. Sutton Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Willis a. Sutton Middle School is 15.3:1, which is 6% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Willis a. Sutton Middle School?
29.5% of students at Willis a. Sutton Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willis a. Sutton Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Willis a. Sutton Middle School is African American at 39.5% of enrollment, in Atlanta, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willis a. Sutton Middle School?
Willis a. Sutton 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 Willis a. Sutton Middle School rank among middle schools in Atlanta?
By Resource Investment Index, Willis a. Sutton Middle School ranks #12 of 18 middle schools in Atlanta, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Atlanta on the city page.
Is Willis a. Sutton Middle School a good school?
Willis a. Sutton Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia 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 Atlanta Public Schools?
Besides Willis a. Sutton Middle School, Atlanta Public Schools also operates North Atlanta High School (2,368 students), Midtown High School (1,696 students), and Maynard Jackson High School (1,549 students). See the Atlanta Public Schools 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.