Enrollment
378
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Wilson, NC
Charles H Darden Middle
Federal NCES profile for Charles H Darden Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370502002061
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Charles H Darden Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #14 of 20
- public schools in Wilson · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 97.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Charles H Darden Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Charles H Darden Middle ranks #14 of 20 public schools in Wilson, NC.
School address
District: Wilson County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370502002061 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Charles H Darden Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Charles H Darden Middle
Charles H Darden Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Wilson, North Carolina, enrolling 378 students.
At 14.5:1, 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 97.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 378 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 484 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #327.
Its student body is led by African American (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 378 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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: 213 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 378 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Wilson's middle schools, it stands alongside Forest Hills Middle (654 students): Charles H Darden Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 18.7:1).
Wilson County Schools also operates James Hunt High (1,115 students) and Fike High (1,028 students) alongside Charles H Darden 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 Charles H Darden Middle compares
Charles H Darden 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 | 14.5:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.7% | ▲ 48% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 378 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
378
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 42% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.5%
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
$12,063
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 378 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
63
in-school suspensions + 150 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 56.3 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
African American 64.0%
Hispanic or Latino 30.7%
White 2.6%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 64.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.5, Charles H Darden 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 Wilson County Schools, which includes Charles H Darden Middle.
$12,063
Per student
+0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 58.4%
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 Charles H Darden Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hunt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fike High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest Hills Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beddingfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John W Jones Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Charles H Darden Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,028
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 654
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar middle schools in Wilson
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 (~378 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Charles H Darden Middle's federal record.
- Compare Charles H Darden Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Wilson 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 Charles H Darden Middle
How many students attend Charles H Darden Middle?
Charles H Darden Middle has 378 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Wilson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Charles H Darden Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Charles H Darden Middle is 14.5:1, which is 8% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 8% 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 Charles H Darden Middle?
97.7% of students at Charles H Darden Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Charles H Darden Middle?
The largest demographic group at Charles H Darden Middle is African American at 64.0% of enrollment, in Wilson, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Charles H Darden Middle?
Charles H Darden Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Charles H Darden Middle rank among public schools in Wilson?
By Resource Investment Index, Charles H Darden Middle ranks #14 of 20 public schools in Wilson, 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 Wilson on the city page.
Is Charles H Darden Middle a good school?
Charles H Darden Middle earns 34/100 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 Wilson County Schools?
Besides Charles H Darden Middle, Wilson County Schools also operates James Hunt High (1,115 students), Fike High (1,028 students), and Forest Hills Middle (654 students). See the Wilson 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.