Enrollment
110
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bryson City, NC
Cherokee Extension School
Federal NCES profile for Cherokee Extension School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370444002186
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherokee Extension School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Bryson City · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 110
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Extension School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Bryson City, NC.
School address
District: Swain County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370444002186 Verify on NCES CCD record →
What stands out at Cherokee Extension School
Cherokee Extension School is a small combined-grade school in Bryson City, North Carolina, enrolling 110 students.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of North Carolina schools, with 110 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 50/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Swain County Schools also operates Swain County High School (536 students) and Swain County Middle School (453 students) alongside Cherokee Extension School.
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 Cherokee Extension School compares
Cherokee Extension School on the metrics families compare, against North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment | 110 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
110
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
$14,269
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.
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 68.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Two or More 8.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.5%
African American 2.7%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: White at 68.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Cherokee Extension School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Swain County Schools, which includes Cherokee Extension School.
$14,269
Per student
+19%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 7.7%
State 63.1%
Federal 29.2%
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 Cherokee Extension School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swain County High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Swain County Middle School | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Swain County West Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
| Swain County East Elementary | Larger | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Cherokee Extension School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 338
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherokee Extension School's federal record.
- Compare Cherokee Extension School against another school. Compare schools
- Swain 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 Cherokee Extension School
How many students attend Cherokee Extension School?
Cherokee Extension School has 110 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bryson City, NC.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cherokee Extension School?
The largest demographic group at Cherokee Extension School is White at 68.2% of enrollment, in Bryson City, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherokee Extension School?
Cherokee Extension School has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Cherokee Extension School rank among public schools in Bryson City?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Extension School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Bryson 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 Bryson City on the city page.
Is Cherokee Extension School a good school?
Cherokee Extension School earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. 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 Swain County Schools?
Besides Cherokee Extension School, Swain County Schools also operates Swain County High School (536 students), Swain County Middle School (453 students), and Swain County West Elementary (403 students). See the Swain 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.