Enrollment
513
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Siler City, NC
Chatham Middle
Federal NCES profile for Chatham Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370075000307
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chatham Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 8
- public schools in Siler City · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 80.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Chatham Middle has class sizes smaller than 84% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chatham Middle ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Siler City, NC.
School address
District: Chatham County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370075000307 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chatham Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chatham Middle
Chatham Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Siler City, North Carolina, enrolling 513 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 513 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 185 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #44.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (74%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 342 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 197 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 513 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Chatham County Schools also operates Seaforth High (1,088 students) and Jordan Matthews High (848 students) alongside Chatham 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 Chatham Middle compares
Chatham 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 21% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.9% | ▲ 23% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 513 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
513
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 16% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$13,461
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 342 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
99
in-school suspensions + 98 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 38.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 74.1%
African American 12.7%
White 8.6%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 74.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.6, Chatham 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 Chatham County Schools, which includes Chatham Middle.
$13,461
Per student
+12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 46.9%
Federal 14.8%
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 Chatham Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaforth High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jordan Matthews High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Margaret B. Pollard Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chatham Grove Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwood High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chatham Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 27.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~513 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chatham Middle's federal record.
- Compare Chatham Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Chatham 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 Chatham Middle
How many students attend Chatham Middle?
Chatham Middle has 513 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Siler City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chatham Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Chatham Middle is 12.5:1, which is 21% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 20% 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 Chatham Middle?
80.9% of students at Chatham Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chatham Middle?
The largest demographic group at Chatham Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 74.1% of enrollment, in Siler City, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chatham Middle?
Chatham Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Chatham Middle rank among public schools in Siler City?
By Resource Investment Index, Chatham Middle ranks #4 of 8 public schools in Siler City, 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 Siler City on the city page.
Is Chatham Middle a good school?
Chatham Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Chatham County Schools?
Besides Chatham Middle, Chatham County Schools also operates Seaforth High (1,088 students), Jordan Matthews High (848 students), and Margaret B. Pollard Middle (736 students). See the Chatham 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.