Enrollment
585
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Candler, NC
Enka Intermediate
Federal NCES profile for Enka Intermediate, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370045003383
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Enka Intermediate earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Candler · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 61.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Enka Intermediate has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Enka Intermediate ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Candler, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045003383 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Enka Intermediate compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Enka Intermediate
Enka Intermediate is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Candler, North Carolina, enrolling 585 students.
At 15:1, 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 61.3% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 585 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 476 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #150.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 293 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 123 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 585 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Candler's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hominy Valley Elementary (399 students): Enka Intermediate is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15:1 vs 13.3:1).
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Enka Intermediate.
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 Enka Intermediate compares
Enka Intermediate 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 | 15:1 | ▼ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.3% | ▼ 7% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 585 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
585
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 49% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.8%
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
$13,190
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 293 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
75
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.0 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 65.0%
Hispanic or Latino 26.3%
African American 3.8%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 65.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.6, Enka Intermediate is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Buncombe County Schools, which includes Enka Intermediate.
$13,190
Per student
+10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.2%
State 49.5%
Federal 21.3%
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 Enka Intermediate Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Reynolds High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enka High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Erwin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Enka Intermediate's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,169
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Candler
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~585 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Enka Intermediate's federal record.
- Compare Enka Intermediate against another school. Compare schools
- Buncombe 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 Enka Intermediate
How many students attend Enka Intermediate?
Enka Intermediate has 585 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Candler, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Enka Intermediate?
The student-teacher ratio at Enka Intermediate is 15:1, which is 5% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 4% 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 Enka Intermediate?
61.3% of students at Enka Intermediate are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Enka Intermediate?
The largest demographic group at Enka Intermediate is White at 65.0% of enrollment, in Candler, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Enka Intermediate?
Enka Intermediate has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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).
How does Enka Intermediate rank among elementary schools in Candler?
By Resource Investment Index, Enka Intermediate ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Candler, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Candler on the city page.
Is Enka Intermediate a good school?
Enka Intermediate earns 42/100 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 Buncombe County Schools?
Besides Enka Intermediate, Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students), Reynolds High (1,169 students), and Enka High (1,051 students). See the Buncombe 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.