Enrollment
514
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Salisbury, NC
Knox Middle
Federal NCES profile for Knox Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370405002252
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Knox Middle earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 4
- middle schools in Salisbury · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 94.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Knox Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Knox Middle ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Salisbury, NC.
School address
District: Rowan-Salisbury Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370405002252 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Knox Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Knox Middle
Knox Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Salisbury, North Carolina, enrolling 514 students.
At 15.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 94.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 514 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 576 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #522, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 514 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 316 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 514 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Salisbury's middle schools, it stands alongside Erwin Middle (763 students): Knox Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 15.9:1).
Rowan-Salisbury Schools also operates Carson High (1,063 students) and West Rowan High (988 students) alongside Knox 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 Knox Middle compares
Knox 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.9% | ▲ 44% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 514 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
514
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 57% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.9%
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
$11,832
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 514 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
173
in-school suspensions + 143 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 33.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 61.5 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rowan-Salisbury Schools, which includes Knox Middle.
$11,832
Per student
-2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 60.4%
Federal 21.0%
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 Knox Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Rowan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Rowan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Rowan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Salisbury High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Knox Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,063
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 988
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 986
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 930
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar middle schools in Salisbury
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~514 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Knox Middle's federal record.
- Compare Knox Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Rowan-Salisbury 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 Knox Middle
How many students attend Knox Middle?
Knox Middle has 514 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Salisbury, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Knox Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Knox Middle is 15.6:1, which is 1% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% 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 Knox Middle?
94.9% of students at Knox Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Knox Middle?
Knox Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Knox Middle rank among middle schools in Salisbury?
By Resource Investment Index, Knox Middle ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Salisbury, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Salisbury on the city page.
Is Knox Middle a good school?
Knox Middle earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Rowan-Salisbury Schools?
Besides Knox Middle, Rowan-Salisbury Schools also operates Carson High (1,063 students), West Rowan High (988 students), and East Rowan High (986 students). See the Rowan-Salisbury 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.