Enrollment
1,017
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fayetteville, NC
E E Smith High
Federal NCES profile for E E Smith High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370001102124
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
E E Smith High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of North Carolina schools.
- #9 of 15
- high schools in Fayetteville · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.2%
- free-lunch eligible
E E Smith High has class sizes larger than 74% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, E E Smith High ranks #9 of 15 high schools in Fayetteville, NC.
School address
District: Cumberland County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370001102124 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How E E Smith High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at E E Smith High
E E Smith High is a high-poverty, large high school in Fayetteville, North Carolina, enrolling 1,017 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,017 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 200 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #76.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 54/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 257 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,017 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Fayetteville's high schools, it stands alongside Jack Britt High (1,940 students): E E Smith High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.2:1 vs 19.4:1).
Cumberland County Schools also operates Jack Britt High (1,940 students) and Pine Forest High (1,551 students) alongside E E Smith High.
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 E E Smith High compares
E E Smith High 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.2% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,017 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,017
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.2%
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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 74% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
44.4%
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
$12,412
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 254 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
98
in-school suspensions + 159 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 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
African American 64.9%
Hispanic or Latino 16.3%
White 9.6%
Two or More 7.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 64.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.8, E E Smith High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cumberland County Schools, which includes E E Smith High.
$12,412
Per student
+3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.5%
State 57.7%
Federal 25.7%
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 E E Smith High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Britt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine Forest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cape Fear High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South View High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gray's Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to E E Smith High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,940
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,551
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,515
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,461
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,458
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Fayetteville
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Jack Britt High
Standard public school
1,940 students 19.4:1 students per teacher
Pine Forest High
Standard public school
1,551 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Cape Fear High
Standard public school
1,515 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Seventy-First High
Standard public school
1,332 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Westover High
Standard public school
1,234 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Terry Sanford High
Standard public school
1,201 students 19.7:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~1,017 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on E E Smith High's federal record.
- Compare E E Smith High against another school. Compare schools
- Cumberland 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 E E Smith High
How many students attend E E Smith High?
E E Smith High has 1,017 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fayetteville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at E E Smith High?
The student-teacher ratio at E E Smith High is 17.2:1, 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 E E Smith High?
99.2% of students at E E Smith High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of E E Smith High?
The largest demographic group at E E Smith High is African American at 64.9% of enrollment, in Fayetteville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for E E Smith High?
E E Smith High has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does E E Smith High rank among high schools in Fayetteville?
By Resource Investment Index, E E Smith High ranks #9 of 15 high schools in Fayetteville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Fayetteville on the city page.
Is E E Smith High a good school?
E E Smith High earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Cumberland County Schools?
Besides E E Smith High, Cumberland County Schools also operates Jack Britt High (1,940 students), Pine Forest High (1,551 students), and Cape Fear High (1,515 students). See the Cumberland 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.