Enrollment
432
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mount Airy, NC
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary
Federal NCES profile for Bruce H. Tharrington Primary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370321001337
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #5 of 5
- schools in Mount Airy · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 99.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bruce H. Tharrington Primary ranks #5 of 5 schools in Mount Airy, NC.
School address
District: Mount Airy City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370321001337 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bruce H. Tharrington Primary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bruce H. Tharrington Primary
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Mount Airy, North Carolina, enrolling 432 students.
At 15.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 432 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 525 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #422, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 864 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 23.5% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Mount Airy's public schools, it stands alongside Millennium Charter Academy (628 students): Bruce H. Tharrington Primary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.4:1 vs 13.4:1).
Mount Airy City Schools also operates Mount Airy High (620 students) and Mount Airy Middle (395 students) alongside Bruce H. Tharrington Primary.
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 Bruce H. Tharrington Primary compares
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.2% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 432 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
432
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 55% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,873
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 50.7%
Hispanic or Latino 35.0%
African American 7.9%
Two or More 4.2%
Asian 2.3%
Largest group: White at 50.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, Bruce H. Tharrington Primary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mount Airy City Schools, which includes Bruce H. Tharrington Primary.
$12,873
Per student
+7%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.2%
State 59.3%
Federal 23.5%
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 Bruce H. Tharrington Primary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Airy High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mount Airy Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jones Intermediate | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bruce H. Tharrington Primary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 620
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 395
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Mount Airy
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Millennium Charter Academy
Standard public school
628 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Franklin Elementary
Standard public school
473 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
White Plains Elementary
Standard public school
328 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Flat Rock Elementary
Standard public school
217 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~432 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bruce H. Tharrington Primary's federal record.
- Compare Bruce H. Tharrington Primary against another school. Compare schools
- Mount Airy City 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 Bruce H. Tharrington Primary
How many students attend Bruce H. Tharrington Primary?
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary has 432 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mount Airy, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bruce H. Tharrington Primary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bruce H. Tharrington Primary is 15.4:1, which is 3% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 2% 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 Bruce H. Tharrington Primary?
99.2% of students at Bruce H. Tharrington Primary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bruce H. Tharrington Primary?
The largest demographic group at Bruce H. Tharrington Primary is White at 50.7% of enrollment, in Mount Airy, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bruce H. Tharrington Primary?
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Bruce H. Tharrington Primary rank among schools in Mount Airy?
By Resource Investment Index, Bruce H. Tharrington Primary ranks #5 of 5 schools in Mount Airy, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mount Airy on the city page.
Is Bruce H. Tharrington Primary a good school?
Bruce H. Tharrington Primary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Mount Airy City Schools?
Besides Bruce H. Tharrington Primary, Mount Airy City Schools also operates Mount Airy High (620 students), Mount Airy Middle (395 students), and Jones Intermediate (339 students). See the Mount Airy City 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.