Enrollment
810
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Shelby, NC
Crest Middle
Federal NCES profile for Crest Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370090000341
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Crest Middle earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #5 of 17
- public schools in Shelby · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 64.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Crest Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Crest Middle ranks #5 of 17 public schools in Shelby, NC.
School address
District: Cleveland County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370090000341 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Crest Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Crest Middle
Crest Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Shelby, North Carolina, enrolling 810 students.
At 15.6:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 64.7% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 810 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 328 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #20, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 270 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 482 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 810 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Shelby's middle schools, it stands alongside Shelby Middle (588 students): Crest Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.6:1 vs 14.3:1).
Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students) and Crest High (1,098 students) alongside Crest 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 Crest Middle compares
Crest 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.7% | ▼ 2% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 810 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
810
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 57% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.7%
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
$11,957
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 270 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
250
in-school suspensions + 232 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 30.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 59.5 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 60.5%
African American 24.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 60.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.2, Crest Middle is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cleveland County Schools, which includes Crest Middle.
$11,957
Per student
0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.4%
State 59.1%
Federal 19.5%
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 Crest Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Mountain High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Burns High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shelby High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Burns Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Crest Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar middle schools in Shelby
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 (~810 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Crest Middle's federal record.
- Compare Crest Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cleveland 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 Crest Middle
How many students attend Crest Middle?
Crest Middle has 810 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Shelby, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Crest Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Crest Middle is 15.6:1, which is 1% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% 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 Crest Middle?
64.7% of students at Crest Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Crest Middle?
The largest demographic group at Crest Middle is White at 60.5% of enrollment, in Shelby, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Crest Middle?
Crest Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Crest Middle rank among public schools in Shelby?
By Resource Investment Index, Crest Middle ranks #5 of 17 public schools in Shelby, 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 Shelby on the city page.
Is Crest Middle a good school?
Crest Middle earns 47/100 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 Cleveland County Schools?
Besides Crest Middle, Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students), Crest High (1,098 students), and Burns High (928 students). See the Cleveland 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.