Enrollment
144
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cashiers, NC
Blue Ridge School
Federal NCES profile for Blue Ridge School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370234001001
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 1
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blue Ridge School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Cashiers · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 70.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Blue Ridge School has class sizes smaller than 77% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Ridge School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Cashiers, NC.
School address
District: Jackson County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370234001001 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blue Ridge School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blue Ridge School
Blue Ridge School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Cashiers, North Carolina, enrolling 144 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 70.3% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of North Carolina schools, with 144 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 39 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #28.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (40%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 288 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Cashiers's public schools, it stands alongside Summit Charter (315 students): Blue Ridge School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.1:1 vs 15.8:1).
Jackson County Public Schools also operates Smoky Mountain High School (881 students) and Fairview Elementary (797 students) alongside Blue Ridge School.
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 Blue Ridge School compares
Blue Ridge School 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 17% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.3% | ▲ 7% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 144 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
144
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% above 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 23% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.6%
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
$13,534
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 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 54.2%
Hispanic or Latino 40.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%
Two or More 2.1%
African American 1.4%
Largest group: White at 54.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.3, Blue Ridge School is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jackson County Public Schools, which includes Blue Ridge School.
$13,534
Per student
+13%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.8%
State 51.8%
Federal 24.5%
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 Blue Ridge School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairview Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cullowhee Valley School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Scotts Creek Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Smokey Mountain Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blue Ridge School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 422
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Cashiers
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~144 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blue Ridge School's federal record.
- Compare Blue Ridge School against another school. Compare schools
- Jackson County Public 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 Blue Ridge School
How many students attend Blue Ridge School?
Blue Ridge School has 144 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cashiers, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blue Ridge School?
The student-teacher ratio at Blue Ridge School is 13.1:1, which is 17% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 17% 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 Blue Ridge School?
70.3% of students at Blue Ridge School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blue Ridge School?
The largest demographic group at Blue Ridge School is White at 54.2% of enrollment, in Cashiers, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blue Ridge School?
Blue Ridge School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Blue Ridge School rank among schools in Cashiers?
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Ridge School ranks #3 of 3 schools in Cashiers, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cashiers on the city page.
Is Blue Ridge School a good school?
Blue Ridge School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Jackson County Public Schools?
Besides Blue Ridge School, Jackson County Public Schools also operates Smoky Mountain High School (881 students), Fairview Elementary (797 students), and Cullowhee Valley School (570 students). See the Jackson County Public 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.