Enrollment
602
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Stanley, NC
Stanley Middle
Federal NCES profile for Stanley Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370162000713
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stanley Middle earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Stanley · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 50.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Stanley Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stanley Middle ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Stanley, NC.
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370162000713 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stanley Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stanley Middle
Stanley Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Stanley, North Carolina, enrolling 602 students.
At 15.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 602 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 495 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #172.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 301 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 207 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 602 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students) and Hunter Huss High (1,165 students) alongside Stanley 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 Stanley Middle compares
Stanley 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.1% | ▼ 24% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 602 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
602
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 55% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.6%
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
$11,409
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 301 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
109
in-school suspensions + 98 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 34.4 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 59.3%
Hispanic or Latino 18.6%
African American 14.5%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 59.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.9, Stanley 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 Gaston County Schools, which includes Stanley Middle.
$11,409
Per student
-5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.3%
State 64.3%
Federal 19.4%
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 Stanley Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrook High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hunter Huss High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Gaston High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Point High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stanley Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,386
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,061
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~602 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stanley Middle's federal record.
- Compare Stanley Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Gaston 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 Stanley Middle
How many students attend Stanley Middle?
Stanley Middle has 602 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Stanley, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stanley Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Stanley Middle is 15.4:1, which is 3% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 2% 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 Stanley Middle?
50.1% of students at Stanley Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stanley Middle?
The largest demographic group at Stanley Middle is White at 59.3% of enrollment, in Stanley, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stanley Middle?
Stanley Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Stanley Middle rank among public schools in Stanley?
By Resource Investment Index, Stanley Middle ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Stanley, 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 Stanley on the city page.
Is Stanley Middle a good school?
Stanley Middle earns 42/100 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 Gaston County Schools?
Besides Stanley Middle, Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students), Hunter Huss High (1,165 students), and Forestview High (1,133 students). See the Gaston 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.