Enrollment
50
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sylva, NC
Jackson Community School
Federal NCES profile for Jackson Community School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 80/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370234002467
👥 S:T ratio 80
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 90
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jackson Community School earns 80/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Sylva · Resource Index
- 80
- Resource Index · Higher
- 5:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 92.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Jackson Community School has class sizes smaller than 99% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Community School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Sylva, NC.
School address
District: Jackson County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370234002467 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-68% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
92.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jackson Community School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jackson Community School
Jackson Community School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Sylva, North Carolina, enrolling 50 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5:1, Jackson Community School is leaner than roughly 99% of North Carolina schools and 68% 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 92.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of North Carolina schools, with 50 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 31 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #6.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 50 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 46 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 50 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Sylva's public schools, it stands alongside Fairview Elementary (797 students): Jackson Community School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (5:1 vs 16.3:1).
Jackson County Public Schools also operates Smoky Mountain High School (881 students) and Fairview Elementary (797 students) alongside Jackson Community 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 Jackson Community School compares
Jackson Community 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 | 5:1 | ▼ 68% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 92.0% | ▲ 39% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 50 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
50
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
92.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
5:1
students per teacher
- 68% below state mean
Top 1% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$13,534
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 50 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 42.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 92.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 76.0%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
Two or More 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.0%
Largest group: White at 76.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.8, Jackson Community 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 Jackson County Public Schools, which includes Jackson Community School.
$13,534
Per student
+13%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.8%
State 51.8%
Federal 24.5%
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 Jackson Community School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairview Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cullowhee Valley School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Scotts Creek Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smokey Mountain Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jackson Community School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 422
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Sylva
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~50 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jackson Community School's federal record.
- Compare Jackson Community School against another school. Compare schools
- Jackson County Public 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 Jackson Community School
How many students attend Jackson Community School?
Jackson Community School has 50 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Sylva, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jackson Community School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jackson Community School is 5:1, which is 68% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 68% 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 Jackson Community School?
92.0% of students at Jackson Community School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jackson Community School?
The largest demographic group at Jackson Community School is White at 76.0% of enrollment, in Sylva, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jackson Community School?
Jackson Community School has a Resource Investment Index of 80/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Jackson Community School rank among schools in Sylva?
By Resource Investment Index, Jackson Community School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Sylva, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sylva on the city page.
Is Jackson Community School a good school?
Jackson Community School earns 80/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Jackson County Public Schools?
Besides Jackson Community School, Jackson County Public Schools also operates Smoky Mountain High School (881 students), Fairview Elementary (797 students), and Cullowhee Valley School (570 students). See the Jackson County Public 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.