Enrollment
1,057
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Harrisburg, NC
Hickory Ridge Middle
Federal NCES profile for Hickory Ridge Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370053003170
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hickory Ridge Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Harrisburg · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.9:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 15.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Hickory Ridge Middle has class sizes larger than 90% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory Ridge Middle ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Harrisburg, NC.
School address
District: Cabarrus County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370053003170 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hickory Ridge Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hickory Ridge Middle
Hickory Ridge Middle is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Harrisburg, North Carolina, enrolling 1,057 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.9:1 is larger than about 90% of North Carolina schools and 26% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.8% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,057 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 148 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #90.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and Asian (27%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 352 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Cabarrus County Schools also operates Cox Mill High School (1,772 students) and Hickory Ridge High (1,671 students) alongside Hickory Ridge 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 Hickory Ridge Middle compares
Hickory Ridge 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 | 19.9:1 | ▲ 26% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.8% | ▼ 76% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,057 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,057
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% 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
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 90% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.0%
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
$10,831
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 352 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
80
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.0 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 40.5%
Asian 26.8%
African American 18.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
Two or More 5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 40.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.0, Hickory Ridge Middle is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cabarrus County Schools, which includes Hickory Ridge Middle.
$10,831
Per student
-10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 55.3%
Federal 14.4%
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 Hickory Ridge Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cox Mill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hickory Ridge High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Cabarrus High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Cabarrus High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harris Road Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hickory Ridge Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,772
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,671
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,627
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,369
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,368
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~1,057 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hickory Ridge Middle's federal record.
- Compare Hickory Ridge Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cabarrus 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 Hickory Ridge Middle
How many students attend Hickory Ridge Middle?
Hickory Ridge Middle has 1,057 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Harrisburg, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hickory Ridge Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Hickory Ridge Middle is 19.9:1, which is 26% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hickory Ridge Middle?
15.8% of students at Hickory Ridge Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hickory Ridge Middle?
The largest demographic group at Hickory Ridge Middle is White at 40.5% of enrollment, in Harrisburg, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hickory Ridge Middle?
Hickory Ridge Middle 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 Hickory Ridge Middle rank among public schools in Harrisburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Hickory Ridge Middle ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Harrisburg, 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 Harrisburg on the city page.
Is Hickory Ridge Middle a good school?
Hickory Ridge Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Cabarrus County Schools?
Besides Hickory Ridge Middle, Cabarrus County Schools also operates Cox Mill High School (1,772 students), Hickory Ridge High (1,671 students), and West Cabarrus High (1,627 students). See the Cabarrus 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.