Enrollment
706
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Durham, NC
Neal Middle
Federal NCES profile for Neal Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370126000544
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Neal Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of North Carolina schools.
- #5 of 9
- middle schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Neal Middle has class sizes smaller than 83% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Neal Middle ranks #5 of 9 middle schools in Durham, NC.
School address
District: Durham Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370126000544 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Neal Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Neal Middle
Neal Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 706 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.6% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 706 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 444 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #62.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (51%) and African American (40%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 235 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 66.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Durham Public Schools spends $14,937 per pupil, 24% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 280 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 706 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 17 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Durham's middle schools, it stands alongside Sherwood Githens Middle (878 students): Neal Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 17.2:1).
Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students) and Riverside High (1,900 students) alongside Neal 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 Neal Middle compares
Neal 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.6% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 706 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
706
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.6%
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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 17% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
66.1%
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
$14,937
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 235 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
107
in-school suspensions + 173 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 39.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 17 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 51.4%
African American 39.8%
Two or More 4.2%
White 3.1%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.5, Neal Middle is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Durham Public Schools, which includes Neal Middle.
$14,937
Per student
+24%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.0%
Federal 19.5%
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 Neal Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C E Jordan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Durham School of the Arts | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillside High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Neal Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,189
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,764
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,433
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in Durham
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Sherwood Githens Middle
Standard public school
878 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
George L Carrington Middle
Standard public school
771 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Brogden Middle
Standard public school
753 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Rogers-Herr Middle
Standard public school
660 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Lowe's Grove Middle
Standard public school
564 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
James E Shepard Middle
Standard public school
423 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~706 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Neal Middle's federal record.
- Compare Neal Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Durham 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 Neal Middle
How many students attend Neal Middle?
Neal Middle has 706 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Neal Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Neal Middle is 12.6:1, which is 20% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 20% 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 Neal Middle?
99.6% of students at Neal Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Neal Middle?
The largest demographic group at Neal Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 51.4% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Neal Middle?
Neal Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Neal Middle rank among middle schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, Neal Middle ranks #5 of 9 middle schools in Durham, 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 Durham on the city page.
Is Neal Middle a good school?
Neal Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Durham Public Schools?
Besides Neal Middle, Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students), Riverside High (1,900 students), and Durham School of the Arts (1,764 students). See the Durham 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.