Enrollment
140
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370294003609
Mcdowell Virtual Academy — Marion, NC
Federal NCES profile for Mcdowell Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Mcdowell County Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcdowell Virtual Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Mcdowell Virtual Academy reports 140 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 7.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 20:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 22% above the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 26% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 26.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 60% below the North Carolina average and 49% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 140 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 62.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Mcdowell County Schools spends $13,553 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 16.9% from local sources (property taxes), 58.7% from the state, and 24.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mcdowell Virtual Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20:1 | ▲ 22% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.4% | ▼ 60% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 140 | top 7% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
26.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 60% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20:1
students per teacher
— 22% above state mean
Top 92% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
62.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,553
per pupil, district-wide
— above North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 140 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 140 Top 7% in North Carolina — larger than 93% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 7.0
Students per teacher 20:1 +22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 26.4% -60% vs state
NCES ID 370294003609
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 140:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 62.1%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mcdowell County Schools, which includes Mcdowell Virtual Academy.
$13,553
Per student
+4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 16.9%
State 58.7%
Federal 24.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,379
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Enrollment
- 392
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
Similar other schools in Marion
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Glenwood Elementary School
Standard public school
435 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
West Marion Elementary School
Standard public school
390 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Marion Elementary School
Standard public school
333 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Pleasant Gardens Elementary School
Standard public school
289 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Eastfield Global Magnet School
Standard public school
279 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
North Cove Elementary School
Standard public school
230 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Mcdowell Virtual Academy
How many students attend Mcdowell Virtual Academy?
Mcdowell Virtual Academy has 140 students enrolled. It is a other school in Marion, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcdowell Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcdowell Virtual Academy is 20:1, which is 22% higher than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcdowell Virtual Academy?
26.4% of students at Mcdowell Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcdowell Virtual Academy?
Mcdowell Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.