Enrollment
1,522
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Angier, NC
Harnett Central High
Federal NCES profile for Harnett Central High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370201000884
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harnett Central High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Angier · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 51.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Harnett Central High has class sizes larger than 84% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harnett Central High ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Angier, NC.
School address
District: Harnett County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370201000884 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
82.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harnett Central High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harnett Central High
Harnett Central High is a higher-need, large high school in Angier, North Carolina, enrolling 1,522 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 51.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,522 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 124 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #78.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 304 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 567 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,522 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 12 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students) and Western Harnett High (1,324 students) alongside Harnett Central 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 Harnett Central High compares
Harnett Central 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.8% | ▼ 22% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,522 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,522
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 84% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.9%
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
$11,026
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 304 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
319
in-school suspensions + 248 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 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
White 41.1%
Hispanic or Latino 33.2%
African American 18.5%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 41.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.3, Harnett Central High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harnett County Schools, which includes Harnett Central High.
$11,026
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.4%
State 62.0%
Federal 24.6%
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 Harnett Central High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Harnett High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Triton High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benhaven Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harnett Central Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harnett Central High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,981
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,274
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,059
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~1,522 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harnett Central High's federal record.
- Compare Harnett Central High against another school. Compare schools
- Harnett 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 Harnett Central High
How many students attend Harnett Central High?
Harnett Central High has 1,522 students enrolled. It is a high school in Angier, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harnett Central High?
The student-teacher ratio at Harnett Central High is 18.6:1, which is 18% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harnett Central High?
51.8% of students at Harnett Central High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harnett Central High?
The largest demographic group at Harnett Central High is White at 41.1% of enrollment, in Angier, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harnett Central High?
Harnett Central High has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Harnett Central High rank among public schools in Angier?
By Resource Investment Index, Harnett Central High ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Angier, 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 Angier on the city page.
Is Harnett Central High a good school?
Harnett Central High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina. 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 Harnett County Schools?
Besides Harnett Central High, Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students), Western Harnett High (1,324 students), and Triton High (1,274 students). See the Harnett 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.