Enrollment
1,007
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Dudley, NC
Southern Wayne High
Federal NCES profile for Southern Wayne High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370488001963
👥 S:T ratio 27
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southern Wayne High earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Dudley · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.3:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Southern Wayne High has class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Wayne High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Dudley, NC.
School address
District: Wayne County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370488001963 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southern Wayne High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southern Wayne High
Southern Wayne High is a high-poverty, large high school in Dudley, North Carolina, enrolling 1,007 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.2% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,007 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 207 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #155, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and African American (33%) (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 245 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,007 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Wayne County Public Schools also operates Charles B Aycock High (1,138 students) and Norwayne Middle (848 students) alongside Southern Wayne High.
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 Wayne High compares
Southern Wayne High 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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.2% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,007 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,007
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 83% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
52.9%
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
$11,752
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 336 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
60
in-school suspensions + 185 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 44.3%
African American 32.6%
White 20.7%
Two or More 2.0%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Southern Wayne High is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wayne County Public Schools, which includes Southern Wayne High.
$11,752
Per student
-2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.4%
State 60.6%
Federal 28.0%
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 Wayne High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles B Aycock High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Norwayne Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spring Creek Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eastern Wayne High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Spring Creek High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southern Wayne High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,138
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 781
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~1,007 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southern Wayne High's federal record.
- Compare Southern Wayne High against another school. Compare schools
- Wayne 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 Southern Wayne High
How many students attend Southern Wayne High?
Southern Wayne High has 1,007 students enrolled. It is a high school in Dudley, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southern Wayne High?
The student-teacher ratio at Southern Wayne High is 18.3:1, which is 16% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southern Wayne High?
99.2% of students at Southern Wayne High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southern Wayne High?
The largest demographic group at Southern Wayne High is Hispanic or Latino at 44.3% of enrollment, in Dudley, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southern Wayne High?
Southern Wayne High has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Southern Wayne High rank among public schools in Dudley?
By Resource Investment Index, Southern Wayne High ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Dudley, 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 Dudley on the city page.
Is Southern Wayne High a good school?
Southern Wayne High earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Wayne County Public Schools?
Besides Southern Wayne High, Wayne County Public Schools also operates Charles B Aycock High (1,138 students), Norwayne Middle (848 students), and Spring Creek Elementary (804 students). See the Wayne 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.