Enrollment
1,764
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370126001547
Durham School of the Arts — Durham, NC
Federal NCES profile for Durham School of the Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 49/100.
👥 Class size 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 43
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: Durham 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)
113.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Durham School of the Arts 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
Durham School of the Arts reports 1,764 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 113.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% 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 5% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 30.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 54% below the North Carolina average and 41% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 280 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Durham Public Schools spends $17,524 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 34.5% from local sources (property taxes), 46.0% from the state, and 19.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D), 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 Durham School of the Arts 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 | 15.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.6% | ▼ 54% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,764 | top 97% | — | — |
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
30.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 54% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
— 8% below state mean
Top 51% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.8%
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
$17,524
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
Counselors6.3 FTE
Per 280 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
171
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,764 Top 97% in North Carolina — larger than 3% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 113.0
Students per teacher 15.1:1 -8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 30.6% -54% vs state
NCES ID 370126001547
Student demographics
White 34.7%
Hispanic or Latino 30.7%
African American 24.8%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 34.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 6.3
Students per counselor 280:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.8%
In-school suspensions 171
Out-of-school suspensions 37
Expulsions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Durham Public Schools, which includes Durham School of the Arts.
$17,524
Per student
+34%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,189
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,433
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,281
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
Similar other schools in Durham
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Nc Virtual Academy
Standard public school
3,482 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
North Carolina Cyber Academy
Standard public school
2,461 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Voyager Academy
Standard public school
1,360 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Excelsior Classical Academy
Standard public school
1,032 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
Durham Charter School
Standard public school
1,010 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Pearsontown Elementary
Standard public school
765 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
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 Durham School of the Arts
How many students attend Durham School of the Arts?
Durham School of the Arts has 1,764 students enrolled. It is a other school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Durham School of the Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Durham School of the Arts is 15.1:1, which is 8% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 5% 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 Durham School of the Arts?
30.6% of students at Durham School of the Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Durham School of the Arts?
The largest demographic group at Durham School of the Arts is White at 34.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Durham, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Durham School of the Arts?
Durham School of the Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.