Enrollment
453
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Morganton, NC
Liberty Middle
Federal NCES profile for Liberty Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370048002225
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Liberty Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 3
- middle schools in Morganton · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 50.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Liberty Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Morganton, NC.
School address
District: Burke County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370048002225 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Liberty Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Liberty Middle
Liberty Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Morganton, North Carolina, enrolling 453 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 453 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 436 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #190.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 227 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 114 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 453 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Morganton's middle schools, it stands alongside Walter R Johnson Middle (441 students): Liberty Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.2:1 vs 13.8:1).
Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students) and East Burke High (874 students) alongside Liberty 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 Liberty Middle compares
Liberty 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.8% | ▼ 23% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 453 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
453
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 65% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.2%
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
$11,845
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 227 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
63
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.2 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 67.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.7%
Two or More 7.7%
Asian 3.5%
African American 3.3%
Largest group: White at 67.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.1, Liberty 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 Burke County Schools, which includes Liberty Middle.
$11,845
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.2%
State 61.7%
Federal 23.1%
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 Liberty Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Burke High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert L. Patton High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jimmy C Draughn High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Liberty Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar middle schools in Morganton
2 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 (~453 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Liberty Middle's federal record.
- Compare Liberty Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Burke 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 Liberty Middle
How many students attend Liberty Middle?
Liberty Middle has 453 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Morganton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Liberty Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Liberty Middle is 16.2:1, which is 3% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Liberty Middle?
50.8% of students at Liberty Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Liberty Middle?
The largest demographic group at Liberty Middle is White at 67.8% of enrollment, in Morganton, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Liberty Middle?
Liberty Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Liberty Middle rank among middle schools in Morganton?
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Middle ranks #3 of 3 middle schools in Morganton, 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 Morganton on the city page.
Is Liberty Middle a good school?
Liberty Middle earns 42/100 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 Burke County Schools?
Besides Liberty Middle, Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students), East Burke High (874 students), and Mountain View Elementary (762 students). See the Burke 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.