Enrollment
1,809
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Indian Trail, NC
Porter Ridge High School
Federal NCES profile for Porter Ridge High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370462002799
👥 S:T ratio 15
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Porter Ridge High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #3 of 8
- public schools in Indian Trail · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.3:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 30.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Porter Ridge High School has class sizes larger than 92% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Porter Ridge High School ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Indian Trail, NC.
School address
District: Union County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370462002799 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
85.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Porter Ridge High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Porter Ridge High School
Porter Ridge High School is a large high school in Indian Trail, North Carolina, enrolling 1,809 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.3:1 is larger than about 92% of North Carolina schools and 35% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 30.7% free-meal eligibility runs 53% below the North Carolina average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 98% of state schools at 1,809 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 92 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #74, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 23 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% 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 15 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Union County Public Schools also operates Marvin Ridge High (1,961 students) and Weddington High (1,899 students) alongside Porter Ridge 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 Porter Ridge High School compares
Porter Ridge 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 | 21.3:1 | ▲ 35% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.7% | ▼ 53% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,809 | top 2% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,809
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 92% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.9%
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
$11,010
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
69
in-school suspensions + 94 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 15 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 48.0%
Hispanic or Latino 27.2%
African American 15.5%
Two or More 5.6%
Asian 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 48.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.7, Porter Ridge High School is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 23
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union County Public Schools, which includes Porter Ridge High School.
$11,010
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 55.8%
Federal 15.3%
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 Porter Ridge High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Ridge High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Weddington High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cuthbertson High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Porter Ridge Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Weddington Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Porter Ridge High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,961
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,899
- Students per teacher
- 22.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,857
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,447
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~1,809 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Porter Ridge High School's federal record.
- Compare Porter Ridge High School against another school. Compare schools
- Union County 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 Porter Ridge High School
How many students attend Porter Ridge High School?
Porter Ridge High School has 1,809 students enrolled. It is a high school in Indian Trail, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Porter Ridge High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Porter Ridge High School is 21.3:1, which is 35% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Porter Ridge High School?
30.7% of students at Porter Ridge High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Porter Ridge High School?
The largest demographic group at Porter Ridge High School is White at 48.0% of enrollment, in Indian Trail, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Porter Ridge High School?
Porter Ridge High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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).
How does Porter Ridge High School rank among public schools in Indian Trail?
By Resource Investment Index, Porter Ridge High School ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Indian Trail, 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 Indian Trail on the city page.
Is Porter Ridge High School a good school?
Porter Ridge High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina. 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 Union County Public Schools?
Besides Porter Ridge High School, Union County Public Schools also operates Marvin Ridge High (1,961 students), Weddington High (1,899 students), and Cuthbertson High (1,857 students). See the Union County Public Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in North Carolina
All public schools in North Carolina
Union County Public Schools
All schools in this district
Schools in Indian Trail
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.