Enrollment
224
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Asheville, NC
Montford North Star Academy
Federal NCES profile for Montford North Star Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370027003435
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Montford North Star Academy earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- middle schools in Asheville · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 39.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Montford North Star Academy has class sizes smaller than 85% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Montford North Star Academy ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Asheville, NC.
School address
District: Asheville City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370027003435 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Montford North Star Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Montford North Star Academy
Montford North Star Academy is a small middle school in Asheville, North Carolina, enrolling 224 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.4:1, Montford North Star Academy is leaner than roughly 85% of North Carolina schools and 22% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 224 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 132 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #60.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 224 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Asheville City Schools spends $15,998 per pupil, 33% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 60 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 224 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Asheville's middle schools, it stands alongside Asheville Middle (670 students): Montford North Star Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 13.7:1).
Asheville City Schools also operates Asheville High (1,221 students) and Asheville Middle (670 students) alongside Montford North Star Academy.
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 Montford North Star Academy compares
Montford North Star Academy 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.3% | ▼ 40% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 224 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
224
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 15% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
27.2%
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
$15,998
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 224 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Asheville City Schools, which includes Montford North Star Academy.
$15,998
Per student
+33%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.0%
State 40.4%
Federal 14.6%
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 Montford North Star Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Asheville Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Claxton Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Isaac Dickson Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ira B Jones Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Montford North Star Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,221
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 405
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Asheville
3 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 (~224 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Montford North Star Academy's federal record.
- Compare Montford North Star Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Asheville City 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 Montford North Star Academy
How many students attend Montford North Star Academy?
Montford North Star Academy has 224 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Asheville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Montford North Star Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Montford North Star Academy is 12.4:1, which is 22% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 21% 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 Montford North Star Academy?
39.3% of students at Montford North Star Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Montford North Star Academy?
Montford North Star Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Montford North Star Academy rank among middle schools in Asheville?
By Resource Investment Index, Montford North Star Academy ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Asheville, 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 Asheville on the city page.
Is Montford North Star Academy a good school?
Montford North Star Academy earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Asheville City Schools?
Besides Montford North Star Academy, Asheville City Schools also operates Asheville High (1,221 students), Asheville Middle (670 students), and Claxton Elementary (405 students). See the Asheville City 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.