Enrollment
506
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Morehead City, NC
Morehead City Middle
Federal NCES profile for Morehead City Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370063000255
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Morehead City Middle earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Morehead City · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 99.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Morehead City Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Morehead City Middle ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Morehead City, NC.
School address
District: Carteret County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370063000255 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Morehead City Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Morehead City Middle
Morehead City Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Morehead City, North Carolina, enrolling 506 students.
At 14.9:1, 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.
Economic need is high: 99.4% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 506 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 564 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 253 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 121 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 506 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Carteret County Public Schools also operates West Carteret High (1,095 students) and Croatan High (1,019 students) alongside Morehead City 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 Morehead City Middle compares
Morehead City 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 | 14.9:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 506 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
506
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,086
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 253 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
88
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.9 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.
Student demographics
White 71.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.4%
Two or More 5.1%
African American 4.7%
Asian 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.9, Morehead City Middle is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carteret County Public Schools, which includes Morehead City Middle.
$13,086
Per student
+9%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.2%
State 54.7%
Federal 19.2%
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 Morehead City Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Carteret High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Croatan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Oak Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Broad Creek Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newport Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Morehead City Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,095
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,019
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 784
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 722
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 621
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~506 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Morehead City Middle's federal record.
- Compare Morehead City Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Carteret 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 Morehead City Middle
How many students attend Morehead City Middle?
Morehead City Middle has 506 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Morehead City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Morehead City Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Morehead City Middle is 14.9:1, which is 6% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 5% 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 Morehead City Middle?
99.4% of students at Morehead City Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Morehead City Middle?
The largest demographic group at Morehead City Middle is White at 71.3% of enrollment, in Morehead City, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Morehead City Middle?
Morehead City Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Morehead City Middle rank among public schools in Morehead City?
By Resource Investment Index, Morehead City Middle ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Morehead City, 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 Morehead City on the city page.
Is Morehead City Middle a good school?
Morehead City Middle earns 54/100 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 Carteret County Public Schools?
Besides Morehead City Middle, Carteret County Public Schools also operates West Carteret High (1,095 students), Croatan High (1,019 students), and White Oak Elementary (784 students). See the Carteret County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
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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.