Enrollment
589
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Dunn, NC
Coats-Erwin Middle
Federal NCES profile for Coats-Erwin Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370201002456
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Coats-Erwin Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Dunn · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.3:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 64.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Coats-Erwin Middle has class sizes larger than 75% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Coats-Erwin Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Dunn, NC.
School address
District: Harnett County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370201002456 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Coats-Erwin Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Coats-Erwin Middle
Coats-Erwin Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Dunn, North Carolina, enrolling 589 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.3:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 64.0% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 589 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 446 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #287.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (36%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 262 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 589 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 6 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Dunn's middle schools, it stands alongside Midway Middle (584 students): Coats-Erwin Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.3:1 vs 17.7:1).
Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students) and Harnett Central High (1,522 students) alongside Coats-Erwin 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 Coats-Erwin Middle compares
Coats-Erwin 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 | 17.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.0% | ▼ 3% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 589 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
589
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 75% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
61.6%
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
$11,026
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
149
in-school suspensions + 113 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 44.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 6 expulsions.
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 41.8%
Hispanic or Latino 35.7%
African American 17.7%
Two or More 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 41.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.5, Coats-Erwin Middle is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harnett County Schools, which includes Coats-Erwin Middle.
$11,026
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.4%
State 62.0%
Federal 24.6%
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 Coats-Erwin Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harnett Central High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Harnett High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Triton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benhaven Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Coats-Erwin Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,981
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,522
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,274
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Dunn
2 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 (~589 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Coats-Erwin Middle's federal record.
- Compare Coats-Erwin Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Harnett 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 Coats-Erwin Middle
How many students attend Coats-Erwin Middle?
Coats-Erwin Middle has 589 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Dunn, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Coats-Erwin Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Coats-Erwin Middle is 17.3:1, which is 9% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Coats-Erwin Middle?
64.0% of students at Coats-Erwin Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Coats-Erwin Middle?
The largest demographic group at Coats-Erwin Middle is White at 41.8% of enrollment, in Dunn, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Coats-Erwin Middle?
Coats-Erwin Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Coats-Erwin Middle rank among middle schools in Dunn?
By Resource Investment Index, Coats-Erwin Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Dunn, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Dunn on the city page.
Is Coats-Erwin Middle a good school?
Coats-Erwin Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Harnett County Schools?
Besides Coats-Erwin Middle, Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students), Harnett Central High (1,522 students), and Western Harnett High (1,324 students). See the Harnett 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.