Enrollment
457
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Swannanoa, NC
Owen Middle
Federal NCES profile for Owen Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370045002286
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Owen Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Swannanoa · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.7:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 57.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Owen Middle has class sizes smaller than 81% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Owen Middle ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Swannanoa, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045002286 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Owen Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Owen Middle
Owen Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Swannanoa, North Carolina, enrolling 457 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.2% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 457 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 473 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #65.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 229 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 172 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 457 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Owen 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 Owen Middle compares
Owen 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.2% | ▼ 13% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 457 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
457
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.2%
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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 19% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$13,190
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 229 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
83
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.6 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 72.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.6%
Two or More 5.0%
African American 3.3%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.3, Owen 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 Buncombe County Schools, which includes Owen Middle.
$13,190
Per student
+10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.2%
State 49.5%
Federal 21.3%
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 Owen Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reynolds High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enka High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Erwin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Owen Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,169
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~457 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Owen Middle's federal record.
- Compare Owen Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Buncombe 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 Owen Middle
How many students attend Owen Middle?
Owen Middle has 457 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Swannanoa, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Owen Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Owen Middle is 12.7:1, which is 20% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 19% 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 Owen Middle?
57.2% of students at Owen Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Owen Middle?
The largest demographic group at Owen Middle is White at 72.0% of enrollment, in Swannanoa, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Owen Middle?
Owen Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Owen Middle rank among public schools in Swannanoa?
By Resource Investment Index, Owen Middle ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Swannanoa, 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 Swannanoa on the city page.
Is Owen Middle a good school?
Owen Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Buncombe County Schools?
Besides Owen Middle, Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students), Reynolds High (1,169 students), and Enka High (1,051 students). See the Buncombe 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.