Enrollment
400
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Durham, NC
Lucas Middle
Federal NCES profile for Lucas Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370126003250
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lucas Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of North Carolina schools.
- #7 of 9
- middle schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.1:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 67.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Lucas Middle has class sizes smaller than 91% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lucas Middle ranks #7 of 9 middle schools in Durham, NC.
School address
District: Durham Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370126003250 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lucas Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lucas Middle
Lucas Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 400 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.1:1, Lucas Middle is leaner than roughly 91% of North Carolina schools and 30% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 67.9% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 400 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 339 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #230.
Its student body is led by African American (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 400 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 63.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
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.
Discipline events run high: 146 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 400 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Durham's middle schools, it stands alongside Sherwood Githens Middle (878 students): Lucas Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.1:1 vs 17.2:1).
Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students) and Riverside High (1,900 students) alongside Lucas 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 Lucas Middle compares
Lucas 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 30% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.9% | ▲ 3% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 400 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
400
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 9% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
63.5%
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
$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 400 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
63
in-school suspensions + 83 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
African American 45.5%
Hispanic or Latino 37.5%
White 11.8%
Two or More 3.3%
Asian 2.0%
Largest group: African American at 45.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, Lucas 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 Lucas 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 Lucas Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C E Jordan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Durham School of the Arts | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lucas 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 (~400 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lucas Middle's federal record.
- Compare Lucas 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 Lucas Middle
How many students attend Lucas Middle?
Lucas Middle has 400 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lucas Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Lucas Middle is 11.1:1, which is 30% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 29% 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 Lucas Middle?
67.9% of students at Lucas Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lucas Middle?
The largest demographic group at Lucas Middle is African American at 45.5% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lucas Middle?
Lucas Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Lucas Middle rank among middle schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, Lucas Middle ranks #7 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 Lucas Middle a good school?
Lucas Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of 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 Durham Public Schools?
Besides Lucas 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.