Mount Airy City Schools

Mount Airy, North Carolina — 4 schools

1,726
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$13,769
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Other
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Mount Airy City Schools operates 4 public schools serving 1,726 students, placing it among the smaller districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 high, 1 other, 1 middle, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,786 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Surry County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,769 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 17.2% local, 59.3% state, and 23.5% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $75,356 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 67/100, ranked #54 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 639.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 22.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 56.0% White, 28.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% African American across the district's schools.

Mount Airy High accounts for 34.7% of all Mount Airy City Schools student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Mount Airy City Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Mount Airy City Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 76.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Mount Airy City Schools student-counselor ratio is 639:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Mount Airy City Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 22.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Mount Airy City Schools is typically wider than the Mount Airy City Schools-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

23.5%
Federal
59.3%
State
17.2%
Local

Funding Equity

67
Equity Score
54 / 293
State Rank
45
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Surry County county, where this district is located.

$700
Studio/mo
$705
1 BR/mo
$925
2 BR/mo
$1,109
3 BR/mo
$1,406
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$75,356
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Mount Airy City Schools.

White 56.0%
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
African American 7.8%
Asian 2.4%
Multiracial 5.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
639.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
22.9%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Mount Airy City Schools

School Enrollment
Mount Airy High
620
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary
432
Mount Airy Middle
395
Jones Intermediate
339

Nearby Districts in North Carolina

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Wake County Schools
159,778 students · 197 schools · $14,074/pupil
Compare vs Mount Airy City Schools →
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
144,197 students · 180 schools · $15,997/pupil
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Guilford County Schools
68,894 students · 126 schools · $13,788/pupil
Compare vs Mount Airy City Schools →
Cumberland County Schools
49,661 students · 86 schools · $12,982/pupil
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Compare Mount Airy City Schools

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Wake County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Mount Airy City Schools?

Mount Airy City Schools has 4 schools, including 1 high, 1 other, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,726 students.

How much does Mount Airy City Schools spend per student?

Mount Airy City Schools spends $13,769 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #54 in North Carolina.

What is the average teacher salary in Mount Airy City Schools?

The average teacher salary in Mount Airy City Schools is $75,356 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Mount Airy City Schools?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Surry County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Mount Airy City Schools?

Mount Airy City Schools students are 56.0% White, 28.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% African American, 2.4% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Mount Airy City Schools?

Mount Airy City Schools has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #54 out of 293 districts in North Carolina. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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