South Marshall Middle

South Marshall Middle operates as an intimate 6-8 campus in Benton, Kentucky, one of the schools within Marshall County. Current enrollment sits at 432 students spanning grades 6 through 8. Compared to the state average of about 558 students per school, that is 23% below typical.

South Marshall Middle is one of 11 schools operated by Marshall County, a district that instructs 4,302 students overall.

For racial and ethnic makeup, South Marshall Middle records that the student body is overwhelmingly White (91%). Beyond that, the school logs 6% Hispanic.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, South Marshall Middle has 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.8:1. The state averages about 15.8:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 61% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

With demographic context factored in, South Marshall Middle performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 42.4%, the actual is 38.1%, a residual of -4.3 points.

In the broader community, Marshall County reports that median household income runs about $65,831, 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. In all, Marshall County runs 12 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,302 students), of which South Marshall Middle is one.

Nearest neighbor: South Marshall Elementary School, around 2.5 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around South Marshall Middle. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts South Marshall Middle at 6th of 7; the average score across the group is 45.7%.

The campus sits in a low-density setting.

Looking at the recent track record. South Marshall Middle's enrollment has ticked down 22% since 2018, when it stood at 552 (now 432). The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 18.9:1 in 2018 to 15.8:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for South Marshall Middle typically covers sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.