Enrollment
353
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Murphy, NC
Murphy Middle
Federal NCES profile for Murphy Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370078001056
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Murphy Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #9 of 9
- public schools in Murphy · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 57.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Murphy Middle has class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Murphy Middle ranks #9 of 9 public schools in Murphy, NC.
School address
District: Cherokee County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370078001056 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Murphy Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Murphy Middle
Murphy Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Murphy, North Carolina, enrolling 353 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.6:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.9% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 353 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 353 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #317, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 353 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Cherokee County Schools spends $15,950 per pupil, 33% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 27.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 90 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 353 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Cherokee County Schools also operates Murphy Elementary (467 students) and Murphy High (424 students) alongside Murphy 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 Murphy Middle compares
Murphy 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.9% | ▼ 12% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 353 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
353
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 77% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
44.8%
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
$15,950
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 353 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
66
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.5 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 84.7%
Two or More 6.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
African American 2.0%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: White at 84.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.5, Murphy 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 Cherokee County Schools, which includes Murphy Middle.
$15,950
Per student
+33%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.4%
State 52.4%
Federal 27.2%
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 Murphy Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murphy Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Murphy High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Andrews Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ranger Elementary/Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Andrews High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Murphy Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 467
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 330
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 264
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 229
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~353 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Murphy Middle's federal record.
- Compare Murphy Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cherokee County 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 Murphy Middle
How many students attend Murphy Middle?
Murphy Middle has 353 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Murphy, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Murphy Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Murphy Middle is 17.6:1, which is 11% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Murphy Middle?
57.9% of students at Murphy Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Murphy Middle?
The largest demographic group at Murphy Middle is White at 84.7% of enrollment, in Murphy, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Murphy Middle?
Murphy Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Murphy Middle rank among public schools in Murphy?
By Resource Investment Index, Murphy Middle ranks #9 of 9 public schools in Murphy, 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 Murphy on the city page.
Is Murphy Middle a good school?
Murphy Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Cherokee County Schools?
Besides Murphy Middle, Cherokee County Schools also operates Murphy Elementary (467 students), Murphy High (424 students), and Andrews Elementary (330 students). See the Cherokee County 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.