Enrollment
756
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Morganton, NC
Robert L. Patton High School
Federal NCES profile for Robert L. Patton High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370048002832
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Robert L. Patton High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- high schools in Morganton · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.4:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 49.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Robert L. Patton High School has class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Robert L. Patton High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Morganton, NC.
School address
District: Burke County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370048002832 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert L. Patton High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Robert L. Patton High School
Robert L. Patton High School is a mid-sized high school in Morganton, North Carolina, enrolling 756 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.4:1 is larger than about 88% of North Carolina schools and 23% 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 49.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 756 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 441 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #90.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 46/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 252 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Morganton's high schools, it stands alongside Freedom High (1,299 students): Robert L. Patton High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.4:1 vs 17.8:1).
Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students) and East Burke High (874 students) alongside Robert L. Patton 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 Robert L. Patton High School compares
Robert L. Patton 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 | 19.4:1 | ▲ 23% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.1% | ▼ 26% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 756 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.4:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
756
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
19.4:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 88% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.1%
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
$11,845
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 252 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
43
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.4 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 70.1%
Hispanic or Latino 21.8%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 2.9%
African American 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 70.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.9, Robert L. Patton High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Burke County Schools, which includes Robert L. Patton High School.
$11,845
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.2%
State 61.7%
Federal 23.1%
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 Robert L. Patton High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Burke High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jimmy C Draughn High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Burke Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Robert L. Patton High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 630
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Morganton
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~756 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Robert L. Patton High School's federal record.
- Compare Robert L. Patton High School against another school. Compare schools
- Burke 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 Robert L. Patton High School
How many students attend Robert L. Patton High School?
Robert L. Patton High School has 756 students enrolled. It is a high school in Morganton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert L. Patton High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert L. Patton High School is 19.4:1, which is 23% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Robert L. Patton High School?
49.1% of students at Robert L. Patton High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert L. Patton High School?
The largest demographic group at Robert L. Patton High School is White at 70.1% of enrollment, in Morganton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert L. Patton High School?
Robert L. Patton High School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Robert L. Patton High School rank among high schools in Morganton?
By Resource Investment Index, Robert L. Patton High School ranks #2 of 3 high schools in Morganton, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Morganton on the city page.
Is Robert L. Patton High School a good school?
Robert L. Patton High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Burke County Schools?
Besides Robert L. Patton High School, Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students), East Burke High (874 students), and Mountain View Elementary (762 students). See the Burke 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.