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. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.
Albemarle, North Carolina - 23 schools
An equity score of 49/100 ranks Stanly County Schools #127 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,496 per pupil, Stanly County Schools ranks #171 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
Stanly County Schools operates 23 public schools serving 8,643 students, placing it in the mid-size range in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 elementary, 7 high, 4 middle, 3 combined schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Stanly County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,496 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 18.7% local, 60.2% state, and 21.1% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 49/100, ranked #127 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 23 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 383.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 33.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 61.3% White, 16.9% African American, 11.0% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Central Elementary, with a diversity index of 73.4/100.
Its largest campus is West Stanly High, enrolling 800 students (9% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Stanly Academy Learning Center, at 13 students, a 62x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Stanly County Schools school enrollment ranges from 13 students (lowest) to 800 students (highest), a spread of 787 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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
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
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22
This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.
Average demographic composition across 23 schools in Stanly County Schools.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Stanly County Schools's schools, below the North Carolina average of 56.1.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
| School | Enrollment |
|---|---|
| West Stanly High | 800 |
| West Stanly Middle School | 662 |
| North Stanly High | 568 |
| Locust Elementary | 563 |
| Central Elementary | 525 |
| Stanfield Elementary | 483 |
| North Stanly Middle | 471 |
| South Stanly High | 442 |
| Albemarle High | 414 |
| Badin Elementary | 411 |
| South Stanly Middle | 402 |
| Aquadale Elementary | 379 |
| Endy Elementary | 360 |
| Albemarle Middle | 355 |
| Norwood Elementary | 354 |
| Oakboro Choice Stem | 353 |
| Richfield Elementary | 302 |
| East Albemarle Elementary | 261 |
| Millingport Elementary | 192 |
| Stanly Stem Early College | 189 |
| Stanly Early College High | 188 |
| Stanly County Virtual Education | 56 |
| Stanly Academy Learning Center | 13 |
The North Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Hoke County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Lenoir County Public Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Chatham County Schools | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
| Lee County Schools | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
Comparisons are relative to Stanly County Schools's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Wake County Schools →Stanly County Schools has 23 schools, including 7 high, 4 middle, 9 elementary, 3 combined. Total enrollment is 8,643 students.
Stanly County Schools spends $11,496 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #127 in North Carolina.
Stanly County Schools students are 61.3% White, 16.9% African American, 11.0% Hispanic or Latino, 3.4% Asian, averaged across 23 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
Stanly County Schools has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #127 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.