Enrollment
881
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sylva, NC
Smoky Mountain High School
Federal NCES profile for Smoky Mountain High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370234001008
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smoky Mountain High School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Sylva · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 49.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Smoky Mountain High School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smoky Mountain High School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Sylva, NC.
School address
District: Jackson County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370234001008 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smoky Mountain High School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smoky Mountain High School
Smoky Mountain High School is a large high school in Sylva, North Carolina, enrolling 881 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 881 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 388 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #129.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 51/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 220 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 241 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 881 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Sylva's high schools, it stands alongside Jackson Co Early College (113 students): Smoky Mountain High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.3:1 vs 28.3:1).
Jackson County Public Schools also operates Fairview Elementary (797 students) and Cullowhee Valley School (570 students) alongside Smoky Mountain 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 Smoky Mountain High School compares
Smoky Mountain 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.5% | ▼ 25% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 881 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
881
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 66% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.9%
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
$13,534
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 220 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
183
in-school suspensions + 58 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.4 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 66.4%
Hispanic or Latino 21.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 5.6%
Two or More 5.3%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 66.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.9, Smoky Mountain High School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jackson County Public Schools, which includes Smoky Mountain High School.
$13,534
Per student
+13%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.8%
State 51.8%
Federal 24.5%
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 Smoky Mountain High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cullowhee Valley School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Scotts Creek Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Smokey Mountain Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blue Ridge School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smoky Mountain High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 422
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 144
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools in Sylva
1 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 (~881 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smoky Mountain High School's federal record.
- Compare Smoky Mountain High School against another school. Compare schools
- Jackson 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 Smoky Mountain High School
How many students attend Smoky Mountain High School?
Smoky Mountain High School has 881 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sylva, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smoky Mountain High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Smoky Mountain High School is 16.3:1, which is 3% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Smoky Mountain High School?
49.5% of students at Smoky Mountain High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smoky Mountain High School?
The largest demographic group at Smoky Mountain High School is White at 66.4% of enrollment, in Sylva, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smoky Mountain High School?
Smoky Mountain High School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Smoky Mountain High School rank among public schools in Sylva?
By Resource Investment Index, Smoky Mountain High School ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Sylva, 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 Sylva on the city page.
Is Smoky Mountain High School a good school?
Smoky Mountain High School earns 43/100 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 Jackson County Public Schools?
Besides Smoky Mountain High School, Jackson County Public Schools also operates Fairview Elementary (797 students), Cullowhee Valley School (570 students), and Scotts Creek Elementary (422 students). See the Jackson County Public 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.