Enrollment
510
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Hiddenite, NC
East Alexander Middle
Federal NCES profile for East Alexander Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370009002148
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Alexander Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 57.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 510
- students enrolled
East Alexander Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Alexander County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370009002148 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Alexander Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Alexander Middle
East Alexander Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Hiddenite, North Carolina, enrolling 510 students.
At 14.6:1, 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 57.4% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 510 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 487 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #41, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 255 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 161 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 510 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Alexander County Schools also operates Alexander Central High (1,254 students) and West Alexander Middle (467 students) alongside East Alexander 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 East Alexander Middle compares
East Alexander 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.4% | ▼ 13% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 510 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
510
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.1%
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
$12,879
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 255 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
109
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.6 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 73.5%
Hispanic or Latino 16.3%
African American 5.3%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 73.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.9, East Alexander Middle is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alexander County Schools, which includes East Alexander Middle.
$12,879
Per student
+7%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.3%
State 63.6%
Federal 20.1%
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 East Alexander Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Central High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Alexander Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bethlehem Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hiddenite Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wittenburg Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Alexander Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,254
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 467
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 294
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~510 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Alexander Middle's federal record.
- Compare East Alexander Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Alexander 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 East Alexander Middle
How many students attend East Alexander Middle?
East Alexander Middle has 510 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Hiddenite, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Alexander Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at East Alexander Middle is 14.6:1, which is 8% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 7% 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 East Alexander Middle?
57.4% of students at East Alexander Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Alexander Middle?
The largest demographic group at East Alexander Middle is White at 73.5% of enrollment, in Hiddenite, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Alexander Middle?
East Alexander Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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).
Is East Alexander Middle a good school?
East Alexander Middle earns 50/100 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 Alexander County Schools?
Besides East Alexander Middle, Alexander County Schools also operates Alexander Central High (1,254 students), West Alexander Middle (467 students), and Bethlehem Elementary (435 students). See the Alexander 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.