Enrollment
309
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Durham, NC
Lakewood Montessori Middle
Federal NCES profile for Lakewood Montessori Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370126003195
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lakewood Montessori Middle earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 9
- middle schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 29.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lakewood Montessori Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lakewood Montessori Middle ranks #1 of 9 middle schools in Durham, NC.
School address
District: Durham Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370126003195 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-56% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lakewood Montessori Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lakewood Montessori Middle
Lakewood Montessori Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 309 students.
At 15.4:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 29.0% free-meal eligibility runs 56% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 309 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 121 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 309 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
11.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Durham Public Schools spends $14,937 per pupil, 24% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Durham's middle schools, it stands alongside Sherwood Githens Middle (878 students): Lakewood Montessori Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 17.2:1).
Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students) and Riverside High (1,900 students) alongside Lakewood Montessori 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 Lakewood Montessori Middle compares
Lakewood Montessori 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.0% | ▼ 56% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 309 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
309
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 56% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 55% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$14,937
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 309 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 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 57.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.1%
African American 16.5%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 57.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, Lakewood Montessori 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 Durham Public Schools, which includes Lakewood Montessori Middle.
$14,937
Per student
+24%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.0%
Federal 19.5%
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 Lakewood Montessori Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C E Jordan High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Durham School of the Arts | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lakewood Montessori Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,189
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,764
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,433
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in Durham
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Sherwood Githens Middle
Standard public school
878 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
George L Carrington Middle
Standard public school
771 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Brogden Middle
Standard public school
753 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Neal Middle
Standard public school
706 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Rogers-Herr Middle
Standard public school
660 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Lowe's Grove Middle
Standard public school
564 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~309 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lakewood Montessori Middle's federal record.
- Compare Lakewood Montessori Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Durham 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 Lakewood Montessori Middle
How many students attend Lakewood Montessori Middle?
Lakewood Montessori Middle has 309 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lakewood Montessori Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Lakewood Montessori Middle is 15.4:1, which is 3% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 2% 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 Lakewood Montessori Middle?
29.0% of students at Lakewood Montessori Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lakewood Montessori Middle?
The largest demographic group at Lakewood Montessori Middle is White at 57.9% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lakewood Montessori Middle?
Lakewood Montessori Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Lakewood Montessori Middle rank among middle schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, Lakewood Montessori Middle ranks #1 of 9 middle schools in Durham, 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 Durham on the city page.
Is Lakewood Montessori Middle a good school?
Lakewood Montessori Middle earns 55/100 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 Durham Public Schools?
Besides Lakewood Montessori Middle, Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students), Riverside High (1,900 students), and Durham School of the Arts (1,764 students). See the Durham 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.