Enrollment
744
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lawndale, NC
Burns Middle
Federal NCES profile for Burns Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370090000337
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Burns Middle earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of North Carolina schools.
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 66.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 744
- students enrolled
Burns Middle has class sizes larger than 72% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Cleveland County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370090000337 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Burns Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Burns Middle
Burns Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Lawndale, North Carolina, enrolling 744 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 66.1% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 744 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 334 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #25, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 287 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 744 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students) and Crest High (1,098 students) alongside Burns 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 Burns Middle compares
Burns 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 | 16.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.1% | ▲ 0% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 744 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
744
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 72% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$11,957
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 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
103
in-school suspensions + 184 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 38.6 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 68.8%
African American 15.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 68.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.0, Burns 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 Cleveland County Schools, which includes Burns Middle.
$11,957
Per student
0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.4%
State 59.1%
Federal 19.5%
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 Burns Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Mountain High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Burns High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Crest Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shelby High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Burns Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 810
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~744 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Burns Middle's federal record.
- Compare Burns Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cleveland 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 Burns Middle
How many students attend Burns Middle?
Burns Middle has 744 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lawndale, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Burns Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Burns Middle is 16.9:1, which is 7% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Burns Middle?
66.1% of students at Burns Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Burns Middle?
The largest demographic group at Burns Middle is White at 68.8% of enrollment, in Lawndale, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Burns Middle?
Burns Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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).
Is Burns Middle a good school?
Burns Middle earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Cleveland County Schools?
Besides Burns Middle, Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students), Crest High (1,098 students), and Burns High (928 students). See the Cleveland 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.