BINGHAM MIDDLE

As a heavily attended junior high in INDEPENDENCE, Missouri, BINGHAM MIDDLE works with 730 students from grades 7 through 8, operated by INDEPENDENCE 30. That puts it 58% larger than the typical public school in Missouri, which averages around 461 students.

INDEPENDENCE 30 comprises 29 schools with combined enrollment of 14,272 students; BINGHAM MIDDLE is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, BINGHAM MIDDLE records that the largest single group is White at 50%, but no single group is in the majority. Beyond that, the school lists 21% Hispanic, 16% Black, 10% multiracial, 2% Pacific Islander. The wider county runs roughly 62% White, putting the school's mix considerably less White than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, On paper, BINGHAM MIDDLE has 50 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.6:1. The state averages around 13.0:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Around 76% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is noticeably above Jackson County's rate of about 60%.

After controlling for student poverty, BINGHAM MIDDLE tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 49.9% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 54.2%.

In the surrounding community, census data for Jackson County shows median household income runs about $68,577, about 34% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Jackson County runs 244 public schools (combined enrollment of about 105,714 students), of which BINGHAM MIDDLE is one.

The closest other public school is PIONEER RIDGE MIDDLE, roughly 0.2 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around BINGHAM MIDDLE. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), BINGHAM MIDDLE ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, above the local average of 43.1%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Five-year trend. BINGHAM MIDDLE's enrollment has contracted 8% since 2018, when it stood at 795 (now 730). Over the same period, the White share shrank from 60% to 50%. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 16.1:1 in 2018 to 14.6:1 today.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.