Enrollment
254
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Waynesville, NC
Bethel Middle
Federal NCES profile for Bethel Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370204000580
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethel Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 8
- public schools in Waynesville · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 50.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Bethel Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel Middle ranks #2 of 8 public schools in Waynesville, NC.
School address
District: Haywood County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370204000580 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethel Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethel Middle
Bethel Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Waynesville, North Carolina, enrolling 254 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 254 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 188 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #58.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 20.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 63 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 254 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Waynesville's middle schools, it stands alongside Waynesville Middle (727 students): Bethel Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.1:1 vs 15.1:1).
Haywood County Schools also operates Tuscola High (873 students) and Pisgah High (859 students) alongside Bethel Middle.
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 Bethel Middle compares
Bethel Middle 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.6% | ▼ 23% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 254 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
254
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 36% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.7%
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
$12,690
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 254 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
41
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 89.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 3.5%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 89.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.8, Bethel Middle is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Haywood County Schools, which includes Bethel Middle.
$12,690
Per student
+6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.5%
State 54.0%
Federal 20.5%
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 Bethel Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscola High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pisgah High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waynesville Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bethel Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clyde Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethel Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 873
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 859
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle schools in Waynesville
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~254 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethel Middle's federal record.
- Compare Bethel Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Haywood 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 Bethel Middle
How many students attend Bethel Middle?
Bethel Middle has 254 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Waynesville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethel Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethel Middle is 14.1:1, which is 11% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bethel Middle?
50.6% of students at Bethel Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethel Middle?
The largest demographic group at Bethel Middle is White at 89.8% of enrollment, in Waynesville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethel Middle?
Bethel Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bethel Middle rank among public schools in Waynesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel Middle ranks #2 of 8 public schools in Waynesville, 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 Waynesville on the city page.
Is Bethel Middle a good school?
Bethel Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Haywood County Schools?
Besides Bethel Middle, Haywood County Schools also operates Tuscola High (873 students), Pisgah High (859 students), and Waynesville Middle (727 students). See the Haywood 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.