Enrollment
738
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Iron Station, NC
East Lincoln Middle
Federal NCES profile for East Lincoln Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370268001111
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Lincoln Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of North Carolina schools.
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 31.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 738
- students enrolled
East Lincoln Middle has class sizes larger than 81% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Lincoln County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370268001111 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Lincoln Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Lincoln Middle
East Lincoln Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Iron Station, North Carolina, enrolling 738 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 31.6% free-meal eligibility runs 52% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 738 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.
Against 338 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #85.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 369 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students) and East Lincoln High (1,047 students) alongside East Lincoln 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 Lincoln Middle compares
East Lincoln 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 14% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.6% | ▼ 52% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 738 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
738
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,582
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 369 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.1 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 72.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12.2%
African American 7.2%
Two or More 7.0%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 72.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.5, East Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Schools, which includes East Lincoln Middle.
$10,582
Per student
-12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 58.7%
Federal 18.8%
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 Lincoln Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincolnton High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Lincoln Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Lincoln High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Lincoln Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,126
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~738 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Lincoln Middle's federal record.
- Compare East Lincoln Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln 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 Lincoln Middle
How many students attend East Lincoln Middle?
East Lincoln Middle has 738 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Iron Station, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Lincoln Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at East Lincoln Middle is 18:1, which is 14% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at East Lincoln Middle?
31.6% of students at East Lincoln Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Lincoln Middle?
The largest demographic group at East Lincoln Middle is White at 72.1% of enrollment, in Iron Station, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Lincoln Middle?
East Lincoln Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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).
Is East Lincoln Middle a good school?
East Lincoln Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Lincoln County Schools?
Besides East Lincoln Middle, Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students), East Lincoln High (1,047 students), and Lincolnton High (797 students). See the Lincoln 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.