Enrollment
792
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Mount Airy, NC
North Surry High
Federal NCES profile for North Surry High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370441001754
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Surry High earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #10 of 11
- public schools in Mount Airy · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 57.1%
- free-lunch eligible
North Surry High has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Surry High ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Mount Airy, NC.
School address
District: Surry County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370441001754 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Surry High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Surry High
North Surry High is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Mount Airy, North Carolina, enrolling 792 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.1% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 792 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 410 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #334, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 396 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Mount Airy's high schools, it stands alongside Mount Airy High (620 students): North Surry High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.5:1 vs 18.8:1).
Surry County Schools also operates Surry Central High (679 students) and East Surry High (576 students) alongside North Surry 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 North Surry High compares
North Surry 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.1% | ▼ 13% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 792 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
792
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 68% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.6%
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
$12,638
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 396 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
78
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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
White 65.8%
Hispanic or Latino 27.0%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 2.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 65.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.2, North Surry High is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Surry County Schools, which includes North Surry High.
$12,638
Per student
+5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.6%
State 60.1%
Federal 24.3%
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 North Surry High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surry Central High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Surry High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pilot Mountain Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Surry High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 401
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar high schools in Mount Airy
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~792 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Surry High's federal record.
- Compare North Surry High against another school. Compare schools
- Surry 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 North Surry High
How many students attend North Surry High?
North Surry High has 792 students enrolled. It is a high school in Mount Airy, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Surry High?
The student-teacher ratio at North Surry High is 16.5:1, which is 4% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Surry High?
57.1% of students at North Surry High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Surry High?
The largest demographic group at North Surry High is White at 65.8% of enrollment, in Mount Airy, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Surry High?
North Surry High has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 North Surry High rank among public schools in Mount Airy?
By Resource Investment Index, North Surry High ranks #10 of 11 public schools in Mount Airy, 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 Mount Airy on the city page.
Is North Surry High a good school?
North Surry High earns 31/100 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 Surry County Schools?
Besides North Surry High, Surry County Schools also operates Surry Central High (679 students), East Surry High (576 students), and Central Middle (502 students). See the Surry 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.