Enrollment
122
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Murphy, NC
Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle
Federal NCES profile for Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370078000319
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Murphy · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 97.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle has class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle ranks #3 of 5 schools in Murphy, NC.
School address
District: Cherokee County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370078000319 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle
Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Murphy, North Carolina, enrolling 122 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.2:1, Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle is leaner than roughly 86% of North Carolina schools and 23% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 97.5% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of North Carolina schools, with 122 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 80 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #41.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 244 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Cherokee County Schools spends $15,950 per pupil, 33% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Murphy's public schools, it stands alongside Murphy Elementary (467 students): Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.2:1 vs 11.1:1).
Cherokee County Schools also operates Murphy Elementary (467 students) and Murphy High (424 students) alongside Hiwassee Dam Elementary/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 Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle compares
Hiwassee Dam Elementary/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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 23% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.5% | ▲ 48% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 122 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
122
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% above 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 14% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.0%
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
$15,950
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 87.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.6%
Two or More 4.1%
African American 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 87.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.5, Hiwassee Dam Elementary/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 Cherokee County Schools, which includes Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle.
$15,950
Per student
+33%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.4%
State 52.4%
Federal 27.2%
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 Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murphy Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Murphy High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Murphy Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andrews Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ranger Elementary/Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 467
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 330
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 264
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Murphy
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Murphy Elementary
Standard public school
467 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Ranger Elementary/Middle
Standard public school
264 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Peachtree Elementary
Standard public school
166 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Martins Creek Elementary/Mid
Standard public school
137 students 9.8:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~122 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle's federal record.
- Compare Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cherokee 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 Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle
How many students attend Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle?
Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle has 122 students enrolled. It is a public school in Murphy, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle is 12.2:1, which is 23% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 22% 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 Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle?
97.5% of students at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle?
The largest demographic group at Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle is White at 87.7% of enrollment, in Murphy, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle?
Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle rank among schools in Murphy?
By Resource Investment Index, Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle ranks #3 of 5 schools in Murphy, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Murphy on the city page.
Is Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle a good school?
Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Cherokee County Schools?
Besides Hiwassee Dam Elementary/Middle, Cherokee County Schools also operates Murphy Elementary (467 students), Murphy High (424 students), and Murphy Middle (353 students). See the Cherokee 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.