Enrollment
588
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Shelby, NC
Shelby Middle
Federal NCES profile for Shelby Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370090002721
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shelby Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #6 of 17
- public schools in Shelby · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 79.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Shelby Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shelby Middle ranks #6 of 17 public schools in Shelby, NC.
School address
District: Cleveland County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370090002721 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shelby Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shelby Middle
Shelby Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Shelby, North Carolina, enrolling 588 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 79.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 588 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 187 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and White (30%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 392 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 301 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 588 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Shelby's middle schools, it stands alongside Crest Middle (810 students): Shelby Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 15.6:1).
Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students) and Crest High (1,098 students) alongside Shelby 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 Shelby Middle compares
Shelby 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.5% | ▲ 20% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 588 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
588
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
79.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% above 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.9%
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
$11,957
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 392 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
169
in-school suspensions + 132 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 51.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 49.8%
White 30.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.6%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 49.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.0, Shelby Middle is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cleveland County Schools, which includes Shelby Middle.
$11,957
Per student
0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.4%
State 59.1%
Federal 19.5%
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 Shelby Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Mountain High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Burns High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crest Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shelby High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shelby Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 810
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar middle schools in Shelby
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 (~588 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shelby Middle's federal record.
- Compare Shelby Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cleveland 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 Shelby Middle
How many students attend Shelby Middle?
Shelby Middle has 588 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Shelby, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shelby Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Shelby Middle is 14.3:1, which is 9% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 9% 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 Shelby Middle?
79.5% of students at Shelby Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shelby Middle?
The largest demographic group at Shelby Middle is African American at 49.8% of enrollment, in Shelby, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shelby Middle?
Shelby Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Shelby Middle rank among public schools in Shelby?
By Resource Investment Index, Shelby Middle ranks #6 of 17 public schools in Shelby, 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 Shelby on the city page.
Is Shelby Middle a good school?
Shelby Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Cleveland County Schools?
Besides Shelby Middle, Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students), Crest High (1,098 students), and Burns High (928 students). See the Cleveland 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.