Middle school (grades 6-8) · North Wilkesboro, NC

North Wilkes Middle School

Federal NCES profile for North Wilkes Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.

2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370495002657
0/100100/10037/100
👥 S:T ratio
26
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
3
📋 Attendance
51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

North Wilkes Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of North Carolina schools.

#4 of 4
public schools in North Wilkesboro · Resource Index
37
Resource Index · Typical
18.6:1
large classes for North Carolina
99.3%
free-lunch eligible

North Wilkes Middle School has class sizes larger than 84% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, North Wilkes Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in North Wilkesboro, NC.

Enrollment

484

North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

26.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

18.6:1

vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg

+18% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

99.3%

vs 66.0% North Carolina avg

+50% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How North Wilkes Middle School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at North Wilkes Middle School

North Wilkes Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, enrolling 484 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.6:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.3% of students eligible for free meals.

With 484 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.

Against 565 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #259.

Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 35/100).

Counselor access is stretched at roughly 484 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.

Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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.

Discipline events run high: 107 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 484 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

Wilkes County Schools also operates Wilkes Central High School (719 students) and Millers Creek Elementary School (699 students) alongside North Wilkes Middle 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 Middle School compares

North Wilkes Middle 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 18.6:1 ▲ 18% 15.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 99.3% ▲ 50% 66.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 484 top 51% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
484
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
99.3%
free-lunch eligible - 50% above 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
18.6:1
students per teacher - 18% above state mean
Top 84% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 484 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
74
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.1 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 78.7%
Hispanic or Latino 15.7%
Two or More 4.5%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.2%

Largest group: White at 78.7% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 35.4/100

Simpson diversity index - at 35.4, North Wilkes Middle School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilkes County Schools, which includes North Wilkes Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Wilkes Central High School Larger Lower economic need Lower S:T ratio
Millers Creek Elementary School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
West Wilkes High School Similar size Lower economic need Lower S:T ratio
North Wilkes High School Similar size Lower economic need Lower S:T ratio
Central Wilkes Middle School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to North Wilkes Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Wilkes County Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on North Wilkes Middle School's federal record.

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 Middle School

How many students attend North Wilkes Middle School?

North Wilkes Middle School has 484 students enrolled. It is a middle school in North Wilkesboro, NC.

What is the student-teacher ratio at North Wilkes Middle School?

The student-teacher ratio at North Wilkes Middle School is 18.6:1, which is 18% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Wilkes Middle School?

99.3% of students at North Wilkes Middle 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 Middle School?

The largest demographic group at North Wilkes Middle School is White at 78.7% of enrollment, in North Wilkesboro, NC.

What is the Resource Investment Index for North Wilkes Middle School?

North Wilkes Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 North Wilkes Middle School rank among public schools in North Wilkesboro?

By Resource Investment Index, North Wilkes Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in North Wilkesboro, 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 North Wilkesboro on the city page.

Is North Wilkes Middle School a good school?

North Wilkes Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Wilkes County Schools?

Besides North Wilkes Middle 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.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.