Enrollment
840
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Charlotte, NC
Ridge Road Middle
Federal NCES profile for Ridge Road Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370297003121
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ridge Road Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools.
- #14 of 22
- middle schools in Charlotte · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 55.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ridge Road Middle has class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ridge Road Middle ranks #14 of 22 middle schools in Charlotte, NC.
School address
District: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370297003121 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridge Road Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ridge Road Middle
Ridge Road Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Charlotte, North Carolina, enrolling 840 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 55.0% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 840 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 402 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #228.
Its student body is led by African American (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 280 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 357 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 840 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Charlotte's middle schools, it stands alongside Community House Middle (1,425 students): Ridge Road Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.5:1 vs 20.4:1).
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students) and Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students) alongside Ridge Road 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 Ridge Road Middle compares
Ridge Road 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 | 17.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.0% | ▼ 17% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 840 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
840
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 77% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
52.4%
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
$11,853
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 280 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
88
in-school suspensions + 269 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 42.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
African American 66.7%
Hispanic or Latino 18.3%
White 6.3%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.4, Ridge Road 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 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which includes Ridge Road Middle.
$11,853
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.2%
State 52.1%
Federal 15.6%
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 Ridge Road Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myers Park High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ardrey Kell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| William Amos Hough High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Mecklenburg High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ridge Road Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,225
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 3,036
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,534
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 2,518
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 2,422
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar middle schools in Charlotte
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Community House Middle
Standard public school
1,425 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Jay M. Robinson Middle
Standard public school
1,333 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Randolph Middle
Standard public school
1,215 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Southwest Middle School
Standard public school
1,205 students 18.8:1 students per teacher
Alexander Graham Middle
Standard public school
1,187 students 18:1 students per teacher
Piedmont Middle School
Standard public school
1,108 students 23.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~840 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ridge Road Middle's federal record.
- Compare Ridge Road Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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 Ridge Road Middle
How many students attend Ridge Road Middle?
Ridge Road Middle has 840 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Charlotte, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridge Road Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridge Road Middle is 17.5:1, which is 11% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ridge Road Middle?
55.0% of students at Ridge Road Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridge Road Middle?
The largest demographic group at Ridge Road Middle is African American at 66.7% of enrollment, in Charlotte, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridge Road Middle?
Ridge Road Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Ridge Road Middle rank among middle schools in Charlotte?
By Resource Investment Index, Ridge Road Middle ranks #14 of 22 middle schools in Charlotte, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Charlotte on the city page.
Is Ridge Road Middle a good school?
Ridge Road Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools?
Besides Ridge Road Middle, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools also operates Myers Park High School (3,225 students), Ardrey Kell High School (3,036 students), and South Mecklenburg High School (2,534 students). See the Charlotte-Mecklenburg 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.