Enrollment
1,215
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Monroe, NC
Monroe High
Federal NCES profile for Monroe High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370462001301
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 5
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Monroe High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 6
- high schools in Monroe · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 72.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Monroe High has class sizes larger than 82% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Monroe High ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Monroe, NC.
School address
District: Union County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370462001301 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Monroe High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Monroe High
Monroe High is a higher-need, large high school in Monroe, North Carolina, enrolling 1,215 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 72.4% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,215 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 71 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (65%) and African American (26%) (diversity index 50/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 243 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 421 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,215 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 61 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Monroe's high schools, it stands alongside Sun Valley High (1,272 students): Monroe High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.1:1 vs 16.5:1).
Union County Public Schools also operates Marvin Ridge High (1,961 students) and Weddington High (1,899 students) alongside Monroe High.
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 Monroe High compares
Monroe High 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 15% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.4% | ▲ 10% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,215 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,215
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 82% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.9%
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
$11,010
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 243 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
226
in-school suspensions + 195 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 61 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
Hispanic or Latino 65.2%
African American 26.2%
White 5.3%
Two or More 2.3%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.3, Monroe High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union County Public Schools, which includes Monroe High.
$11,010
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 55.8%
Federal 15.3%
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 Monroe High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Ridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Weddington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cuthbertson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Porter Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Porter Ridge Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Monroe High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,961
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,899
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,857
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,809
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,447
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar high schools in Monroe
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Sun Valley High
Standard public school
1,272 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Piedmont High
Standard public school
1,270 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Parkwood High
Standard public school
1,082 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Central Academy of Technology and Arts
Standard public school
875 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Union County Early College
Standard public school
340 students 24.3:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~1,215 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Monroe High's federal record.
- Compare Monroe High against another school. Compare schools
- Union 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 Monroe High
How many students attend Monroe High?
Monroe High has 1,215 students enrolled. It is a high school in Monroe, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Monroe High?
The student-teacher ratio at Monroe High is 18.1:1, which is 15% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Monroe High?
72.4% of students at Monroe High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Monroe High?
The largest demographic group at Monroe High is Hispanic or Latino at 65.2% of enrollment, in Monroe, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Monroe High?
Monroe High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Monroe High rank among high schools in Monroe?
By Resource Investment Index, Monroe High ranks #4 of 6 high schools in Monroe, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Monroe on the city page.
Is Monroe High a good school?
Monroe High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Union County Public Schools?
Besides Monroe High, Union County Public Schools also operates Marvin Ridge High (1,961 students), Weddington High (1,899 students), and Cuthbertson High (1,857 students). See the Union 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.