Enrollment
74
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Rocky Mount, NC
Tar River Academy
Federal NCES profile for Tar River Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370327001218
👥 S:T ratio 70
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tar River Academy earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #1 of 6
- high schools in Rocky Mount · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.4:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 93.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Tar River Academy has class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tar River Academy ranks #1 of 6 high schools in Rocky Mount, NC.
School address
District: Nash County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370327001218 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-53% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tar River Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tar River Academy
Tar River Academy is a high-poverty, small high school in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, enrolling 74 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.4:1, Tar River Academy is leaner than roughly 97% of North Carolina schools and 53% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 93.3% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of North Carolina schools, with 74 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 41 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #8.
Its student body is led by African American (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 60/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 74 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 25.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 45 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 74 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 Rocky Mount's high schools, it stands alongside Northern Nash High (1,035 students): Tar River Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.4:1 vs 17.5:1).
Nash County Public Schools also operates Southern Nash High (1,048 students) and Northern Nash High (1,035 students) alongside Tar River Academy.
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 Tar River Academy compares
Tar River Academy 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 | 7.4:1 | ▼ 53% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.3% | ▲ 41% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 74 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.4:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
74
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
7.4:1
students per teacher
- 53% below state mean
Top 3% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,090
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 74 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 45 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 60.8 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 58.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.3%
White 13.5%
Two or More 8.1%
Largest group: African American at 58.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.6, Tar River Academy is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nash County Public Schools, which includes Tar River Academy.
$12,090
Per student
+1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.1%
State 60.8%
Federal 25.1%
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 Tar River Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Nash High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northern Nash High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rocky Mount High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Red Oak Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern Nash Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tar River Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,048
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,035
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,023
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 840
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 795
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
Similar high schools in Rocky Mount
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Northern Nash High
Standard public school
1,035 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Rocky Mount High
Standard public school
1,023 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Nash Central High
Standard public school
703 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Nrm Early College High School
Standard public school
376 students 25.1:1 students per teacher
Citi High School
Standard public school
87 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~74 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tar River Academy's federal record.
- Compare Tar River Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Nash 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 Tar River Academy
How many students attend Tar River Academy?
Tar River Academy has 74 students enrolled. It is a high school in Rocky Mount, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tar River Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Tar River Academy is 7.4:1, which is 53% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 53% 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 Tar River Academy?
93.3% of students at Tar River Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tar River Academy?
The largest demographic group at Tar River Academy is African American at 58.1% of enrollment, in Rocky Mount, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tar River Academy?
Tar River Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Tar River Academy rank among high schools in Rocky Mount?
By Resource Investment Index, Tar River Academy ranks #1 of 6 high schools in Rocky Mount, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Rocky Mount on the city page.
Is Tar River Academy a good school?
Tar River Academy earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. 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 Nash County Public Schools?
Besides Tar River Academy, Nash County Public Schools also operates Southern Nash High (1,048 students), Northern Nash High (1,035 students), and Rocky Mount High (1,023 students). See the Nash 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.