Enrollment
481
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Carthage, NC
Crain's Creek Middle
Federal NCES profile for Crain's Creek Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370309003211
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Crain's Creek Middle earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Carthage · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 49.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Crain's Creek Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Crain's Creek Middle ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Carthage, NC.
School address
District: Moore County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370309003211 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Crain's Creek Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Crain's Creek Middle
Crain's Creek Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Carthage, North Carolina, enrolling 481 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 49.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 481 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 429 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #403, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and African American (22%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 481 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Moore County Schools also operates Pinecrest High (2,290 students) and Union Pines High (1,462 students) alongside Crain's Creek 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 Crain's Creek Middle compares
Crain's Creek 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 | 49.2% | ▼ 25% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 481 | top 52% | - | - |
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.
481
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
52.6%
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
$11,242
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 481 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
50
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.8 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
White 53.2%
African American 22.0%
Hispanic or Latino 14.3%
Two or More 9.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 53.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.9, Crain's Creek 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 Moore County Schools, which includes Crain's Creek Middle.
$11,242
Per student
-6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 57.2%
Federal 19.2%
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 Crain's Creek Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinecrest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Union Pines High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Pine Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcdeeds Creek Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Crain's Creek Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,290
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,462
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 707
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~481 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Crain's Creek Middle's federal record.
- Compare Crain's Creek Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Moore 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 Crain's Creek Middle
How many students attend Crain's Creek Middle?
Crain's Creek Middle has 481 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Carthage, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Crain's Creek Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Crain's Creek 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 Crain's Creek Middle?
49.2% of students at Crain's Creek Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Crain's Creek Middle?
The largest demographic group at Crain's Creek Middle is White at 53.2% of enrollment, in Carthage, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Crain's Creek Middle?
Crain's Creek Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Crain's Creek Middle rank among public schools in Carthage?
By Resource Investment Index, Crain's Creek Middle ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Carthage, 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 Carthage on the city page.
Is Crain's Creek Middle a good school?
Crain's Creek Middle earns 28/100 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 Moore County Schools?
Besides Crain's Creek Middle, Moore County Schools also operates Pinecrest High (2,290 students), Union Pines High (1,462 students), and West Pine Middle (717 students). See the Moore 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.