Enrollment
137
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Murphy, NC
Hiwassee Dam High
Federal NCES profile for Hiwassee Dam High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370078002626
👥 S:T ratio 58
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hiwassee Dam High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Murphy · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.5:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 53.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Hiwassee Dam High has class sizes smaller than 93% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hiwassee Dam High ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Murphy, NC.
School address
District: Cherokee County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370078002626 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hiwassee Dam High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hiwassee Dam High
Hiwassee Dam High is a higher-need, small high school in Murphy, North Carolina, enrolling 137 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.5:1, Hiwassee Dam High is leaner than roughly 93% of North Carolina schools and 34% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.8% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of North Carolina schools, with 137 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 57 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #44, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 14/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.7% 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 high schools, it stands alongside Murphy High (424 students): Hiwassee Dam High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.5:1 vs 12.5:1).
Cherokee County Schools also operates Murphy Elementary (467 students) and Murphy High (424 students) alongside Hiwassee Dam 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 Hiwassee Dam High compares
Hiwassee Dam 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 | 10.5:1 | ▼ 34% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.8% | ▼ 18% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 137 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
137
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 7% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
46.7%
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
1
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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 92.7%
Two or More 4.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Largest group: White at 92.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.8, Hiwassee Dam High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cherokee County Schools, which includes Hiwassee Dam High.
$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 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murphy Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Murphy High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Murphy Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andrews Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ranger Elementary/Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hiwassee Dam High'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 high schools in Murphy
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~137 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hiwassee Dam High's federal record.
- Compare Hiwassee Dam High 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 High
How many students attend Hiwassee Dam High?
Hiwassee Dam High has 137 students enrolled. It is a high school in Murphy, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hiwassee Dam High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hiwassee Dam High is 10.5:1, which is 34% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 33% 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 High?
53.8% of students at Hiwassee Dam High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hiwassee Dam High?
The largest demographic group at Hiwassee Dam High is White at 92.7% of enrollment, in Murphy, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hiwassee Dam High?
Hiwassee Dam High has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 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 High rank among high schools in Murphy?
By Resource Investment Index, Hiwassee Dam High ranks #2 of 3 high 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 high schools in Murphy on the city page.
Is Hiwassee Dam High a good school?
Hiwassee Dam High earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% 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 High, 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.