Enrollment
1,447
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Indian Trail, NC
Porter Ridge Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Porter Ridge Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370462002800
👥 S:T ratio 7
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Porter Ridge Middle School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in North Carolina.
- #8 of 8
- public schools in Indian Trail · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.3:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 36.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Porter Ridge Middle School has class sizes larger than 95% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Porter Ridge Middle School ranks #8 of 8 public schools in Indian Trail, NC.
School address
District: Union County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370462002800 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Porter Ridge Middle School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Porter Ridge Middle School
Porter Ridge Middle School is a large middle school in Indian Trail, North Carolina, enrolling 1,447 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.3:1 is larger than about 95% of North Carolina schools and 47% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,447 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 155 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #152, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 482 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% 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 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Indian Trail's middle schools, it stands alongside Sun Valley Middle (909 students): Porter Ridge Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.3:1 vs 18.2:1).
Union County Public Schools also operates Marvin Ridge High (1,961 students) and Weddington High (1,899 students) alongside Porter Ridge 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 Porter Ridge Middle School compares
Porter Ridge 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 | 23.3:1 | ▲ 47% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.0% | ▼ 45% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,447 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.3:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,447
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
23.3:1
students per teacher
- 47% above state mean
Top 95% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
33.2%
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 482 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
97
in-school suspensions + 109 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 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 47.5%
Hispanic or Latino 24.1%
African American 13.2%
Asian 8.2%
Two or More 6.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 47.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.7, Porter Ridge Middle School is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Union County Public Schools, which includes Porter Ridge Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Ridge High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Weddington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cuthbertson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Porter Ridge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Weddington Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Porter Ridge Middle 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
- 1,809
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar middle schools in Indian Trail
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~1,447 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~23.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Porter Ridge Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Porter Ridge Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Porter Ridge Middle School?
Porter Ridge Middle School has 1,447 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Indian Trail, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Porter Ridge Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Porter Ridge Middle School is 23.3:1, which is 47% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 48% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Porter Ridge Middle School?
36.0% of students at Porter Ridge Middle 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 Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Porter Ridge Middle School is White at 47.5% of enrollment, in Indian Trail, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Porter Ridge Middle School?
Porter Ridge Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Porter Ridge Middle School rank among public schools in Indian Trail?
By Resource Investment Index, Porter Ridge Middle School ranks #8 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 Middle School a good school?
Porter Ridge Middle School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Middle 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.
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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.