Enrollment
262
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370063000258
Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary — Smyrna, NC
Federal NCES profile for Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 54/100.
👥 Class size 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 40
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Carteret County Public Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary reports 262 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 34% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 32% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 98.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 50% above the North Carolina average and 91% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 262 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 24.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Carteret County Public Schools spends $13,818 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 26.2% from local sources (property taxes), 54.7% from the state, and 19.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (C-), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.8:1 | ▼ 34% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.8% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 262 | top 18% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
98.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 50% 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
10.8:1
students per teacher
— 34% below state mean
Top 6% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
24.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,818
per pupil, district-wide
— above North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 262 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 262 Top 18% in North Carolina — larger than 82% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 10.8:1 -34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 98.8% +50% vs state
NCES ID 370063000258
Student demographics
White 94.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
Two or More 1.9%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 94.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 262:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 24.0%
In-school suspensions 9
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carteret County Public Schools, which includes Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary.
$13,818
Per student
+6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 26.2%
State 54.7%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,095
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,019
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 784
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 722
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary
How many students attend Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary?
Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary has 262 students enrolled. It is a other school in Smyrna, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary is 10.8:1, which is 34% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 32% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary?
98.8% of students at Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary is White at 94.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Smyrna, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary?
Down East Middle and Smyrna Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.