Enrollment
620
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Aberdeen, NC
Southern Middle
Federal NCES profile for Southern 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 370309002533
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Aberdeen · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 49.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Middle ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Aberdeen, NC.
School address
District: Moore County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370309002533 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Middle
Southern Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Aberdeen, North Carolina, enrolling 620 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 49.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 620 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 488 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #312.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 310 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 144 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 620 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Moore County Schools also operates Pinecrest High (2,290 students) and Union Pines High (1,462 students) alongside Southern 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 Southern Middle compares
Southern 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.8% | ▼ 25% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 620 | top 33% | - | - |
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.
620
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.8%
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
42.1%
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
$11,242
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 310 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
50
in-school suspensions + 94 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.2 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 48.5%
African American 22.6%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
Two or More 10.5%
Asian 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 48.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.6, Southern 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 Moore County Schools, which includes Southern Middle.
$11,242
Per student
-6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 57.2%
Federal 19.2%
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 Southern Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinecrest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Union Pines High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Pine Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcdeeds Creek Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,290
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,462
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 707
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~620 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Middle's federal record.
- Compare Southern Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Moore 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 Southern Middle
How many students attend Southern Middle?
Southern Middle has 620 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Aberdeen, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Middle 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 Southern Middle?
49.8% of students at Southern Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern Middle?
The largest demographic group at Southern Middle is White at 48.5% of enrollment, in Aberdeen, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Middle?
Southern 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 Southern Middle rank among public schools in Aberdeen?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Middle ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Aberdeen, 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 Aberdeen on the city page.
Is Southern Middle a good school?
Southern Middle earns 36/100 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 Moore County Schools?
Besides Southern Middle, Moore County Schools also operates Pinecrest High (2,290 students), Union Pines High (1,462 students), and West Pine Middle (717 students). See the Moore 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.