Enrollment
578
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Hays, NC
North Wilkes High School
Federal NCES profile for North Wilkes High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370495001981
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Wilkes High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 52.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 578
- students enrolled
North Wilkes High School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Wilkes County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370495001981 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Wilkes High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Wilkes High School
North Wilkes High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Hays, North Carolina, enrolling 578 students.
At 14.8:1, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 52.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 578 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 508 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #292.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 35/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 289 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Wilkes County Schools also operates Wilkes Central High School (719 students) and Millers Creek Elementary School (699 students) alongside North Wilkes High School.
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 Wilkes High School compares
North Wilkes High School 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 | 14.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.6% | ▼ 20% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 578 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
578
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 46% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.3%
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
$12,156
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 289 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
59
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.5 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 79.1%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.7, North Wilkes High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilkes County Schools, which includes North Wilkes High School.
$12,156
Per student
+1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.8%
State 59.5%
Federal 19.7%
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 Wilkes High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes Central High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Millers Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Wilkes High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Wilkes Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Wilkes High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 719
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 699
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 582
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 564
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~578 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Wilkes High School's federal record.
- Compare North Wilkes High School against another school. Compare schools
- Wilkes 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 Wilkes High School
How many students attend North Wilkes High School?
North Wilkes High School has 578 students enrolled. It is a high school in Hays, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Wilkes High School?
The student-teacher ratio at North Wilkes High School is 14.8:1, which is 6% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% 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 North Wilkes High School?
52.6% of students at North Wilkes High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Wilkes High School?
The largest demographic group at North Wilkes High School is White at 79.1% of enrollment, in Hays, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Wilkes High School?
North Wilkes High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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).
Is North Wilkes High School a good school?
North Wilkes High School earns 33/100 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 Wilkes County Schools?
Besides North Wilkes High School, Wilkes County Schools also operates Wilkes Central High School (719 students), Millers Creek Elementary School (699 students), and West Wilkes High School (582 students). See the Wilkes 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.