Enrollment
935
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Catawba, NC
Bandys High
Federal NCES profile for Bandys High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370069000274
👥 S:T ratio 17
📚 AP courses 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bandys High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Catawba · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.8:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 29.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Bandys High has class sizes larger than 91% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bandys High ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Catawba, NC.
School address
District: Catawba County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370069000274 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bandys High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bandys High
Bandys High is a large high school in Catawba, North Carolina, enrolling 935 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.8:1 is larger than about 91% of North Carolina schools and 32% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 29.7% free-meal eligibility runs 55% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 935 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 281 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #251, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 42/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 9 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 312 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 59.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.2% 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 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Catawba County Schools also operates Saint Stephens High (1,268 students) and Fred T Foard High (930 students) alongside Bandys High.
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 Bandys High compares
Bandys High on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.8:1 | ▲ 32% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.7% | ▼ 55% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 935 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.8:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
935
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.8:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 91% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
59.7%
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
$11,517
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Carolina avg of $12,017
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 312 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
94
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
White 74.4%
Hispanic or Latino 12.4%
Two or More 6.8%
African American 4.5%
Asian 1.8%
Largest group: White at 74.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.4, Bandys High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 9
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Catawba County Schools, which includes Bandys High.
$11,517
Per student
-4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 55.4%
Federal 22.2%
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 Bandys High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Stephens High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fred T Foard High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Maiden High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bunker Hill High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Saint Stephens Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bandys High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 930
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 711
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~935 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bandys High's federal record.
- Compare Bandys High against another school. Compare schools
- Catawba County 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 Bandys High
How many students attend Bandys High?
Bandys High has 935 students enrolled. It is a high school in Catawba, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bandys High?
The student-teacher ratio at Bandys High is 20.8:1, which is 32% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 32% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bandys High?
29.7% of students at Bandys High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bandys High?
The largest demographic group at Bandys High is White at 74.4% of enrollment, in Catawba, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bandys High?
Bandys High has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bandys High rank among public schools in Catawba?
By Resource Investment Index, Bandys High ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Catawba, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Catawba on the city page.
Is Bandys High a good school?
Bandys High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of North Carolina 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 Catawba County Schools?
Besides Bandys High, Catawba County Schools also operates Saint Stephens High (1,268 students), Fred T Foard High (930 students), and Maiden High (852 students). See the Catawba County 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.