Enrollment
210
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Burnsville, NC
Cane River Middle
Federal NCES profile for Cane River Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370507002026
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cane River Middle earns 42/100 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 7
- public schools in Burnsville · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 48.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Cane River Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cane River Middle ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Burnsville, NC.
School address
District: Yancey County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370507002026 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cane River Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cane River Middle
Cane River Middle is a small middle school in Burnsville, North Carolina, enrolling 210 students.
At 15:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 48.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 210 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 136 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #112, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 210 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.9% 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 Burnsville's middle schools, it stands alongside East Yancey Middle (259 students): Cane River Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15:1 vs 15.2:1).
Yancey County Schools also operates Mountain Heritage High (642 students) and Blue Ridge Elementary (382 students) alongside Cane River 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 Cane River Middle compares
Cane River 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 | 15:1 | ▼ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.7% | ▼ 26% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 210 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
210
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 49% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.2%
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
$14,275
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 210 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.1 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 88.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Two or More 1.9%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 88.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.7, Cane River 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 Yancey County Schools, which includes Cane River Middle.
$14,275
Per student
+19%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.4%
State 63.8%
Federal 17.9%
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 Cane River Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Heritage High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blue Ridge Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Burnsville Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Yancey Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Micaville Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cane River Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 382
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 350
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 259
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 188
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar middle schools in Burnsville
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 (~210 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cane River Middle's federal record.
- Compare Cane River Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Yancey 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 Cane River Middle
How many students attend Cane River Middle?
Cane River Middle has 210 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Burnsville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cane River Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Cane River Middle is 15:1, which is 5% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 4% 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 Cane River Middle?
48.7% of students at Cane River Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cane River Middle?
The largest demographic group at Cane River Middle is White at 88.6% of enrollment, in Burnsville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cane River Middle?
Cane River Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Cane River Middle rank among public schools in Burnsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Cane River Middle ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Burnsville, 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 Burnsville on the city page.
Is Cane River Middle a good school?
Cane River Middle earns 42/100 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 Yancey County Schools?
Besides Cane River Middle, Yancey County Schools also operates Mountain Heritage High (642 students), Blue Ridge Elementary (382 students), and Burnsville Elementary (350 students). See the Yancey 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.