Enrollment
604
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Kill Devil Hills, NC
First Flight Middle School
Federal NCES profile for First Flight Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370111002291
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
First Flight Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Kill Devil Hills · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.1:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 29.1%
- free-lunch eligible
First Flight Middle School has class sizes smaller than 77% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, First Flight Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Kill Devil Hills, NC.
School address
District: Dare County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370111002291 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How First Flight Middle School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at First Flight Middle School
First Flight Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, enrolling 604 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 29.1% free-meal eligibility runs 56% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 604 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 302 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #65.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 302 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 145 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 604 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Dare County Schools also operates First Flight High School (874 students) and Manteo Elementary School (636 students) alongside First Flight Middle School.
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 First Flight Middle School compares
First Flight Middle School 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 17% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.1% | ▼ 56% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 604 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
604
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 23% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.0%
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
$13,375
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 302 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
73
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.0 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 76.7%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 0.8%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 76.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.0, First Flight Middle School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dare County Schools, which includes First Flight Middle School.
$13,375
Per student
+11%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.1%
State 51.5%
Federal 12.4%
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 First Flight Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Flight High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Manteo Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Manteo High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kitty Hawk Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nags Head Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to First Flight Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 636
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 487
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~604 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on First Flight Middle School's federal record.
- Compare First Flight Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Dare 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 First Flight Middle School
How many students attend First Flight Middle School?
First Flight Middle School has 604 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Kill Devil Hills, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at First Flight Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at First Flight Middle School is 13.1:1, which is 17% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 17% 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 First Flight Middle School?
29.1% of students at First Flight Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of First Flight Middle School?
The largest demographic group at First Flight Middle School is White at 76.7% of enrollment, in Kill Devil Hills, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for First Flight Middle School?
First Flight Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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).
How does First Flight Middle School rank among public schools in Kill Devil Hills?
By Resource Investment Index, First Flight Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Kill Devil Hills, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Kill Devil Hills on the city page.
Is First Flight Middle School a good school?
First Flight Middle School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Dare County Schools?
Besides First Flight Middle School, Dare County Schools also operates First Flight High School (874 students), Manteo Elementary School (636 students), and Manteo High School (528 students). See the Dare 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.