Enrollment
646
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Benson, NC
Meadow School
Federal NCES profile for Meadow School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370237001019
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meadow School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Benson · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 54.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Meadow School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meadow School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Benson, NC.
School address
District: Johnston County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370237001019 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meadow School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meadow School
Meadow School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Benson, North Carolina, enrolling 646 students.
At 14.4:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.7% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 646 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 502 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #237.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 431 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Benson's public schools, it stands alongside Benson Elementary (719 students): Meadow School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.4:1 vs 17.1:1).
Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students) and Clayton High (1,929 students) alongside Meadow School.
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 Meadow School compares
Meadow School 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 | 14.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.7% | ▼ 17% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 646 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
646
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 41% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.9%
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
$10,788
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 431 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
72
in-school suspensions + 53 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.3 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 65.2%
Hispanic or Latino 28.2%
African American 3.4%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.4, Meadow School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Johnston County Public Schools, which includes Meadow School.
$10,788
Per student
-10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.7%
State 62.2%
Federal 17.1%
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 Meadow School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corinth Holders High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clayton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cleveland High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Johnston High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smithfield-Selma High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meadow School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,929
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,563
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,548
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Benson
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~646 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meadow School's federal record.
- Compare Meadow School against another school. Compare schools
- Johnston County 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 Meadow School
How many students attend Meadow School?
Meadow School has 646 students enrolled. It is a public school in Benson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meadow School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meadow School is 14.4:1, which is 9% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 8% 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 Meadow School?
54.7% of students at Meadow School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meadow School?
The largest demographic group at Meadow School is White at 65.2% of enrollment, in Benson, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meadow School?
Meadow School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Meadow School rank among public schools in Benson?
By Resource Investment Index, Meadow School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Benson, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Benson on the city page.
Is Meadow School a good school?
Meadow School earns 39/100 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 Johnston County Public Schools?
Besides Meadow School, Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students), Clayton High (1,929 students), and Cleveland High (1,889 students). See the Johnston County 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.