Enrollment
873
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Waynesville, NC
Tuscola High
Federal NCES profile for Tuscola High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 370204000910
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tuscola High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 8
- public schools in Waynesville · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 45.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Tuscola High has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tuscola High ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Waynesville, NC.
School address
District: Haywood County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370204000910 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tuscola High compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tuscola High
Tuscola High is a large high school in Waynesville, North Carolina, enrolling 873 students.
At 15.1:1, 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 45.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 873 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 396 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #129.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 30/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 291 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Waynesville's high schools, it stands alongside Central Haywood High (63 students): Tuscola High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.1:1 vs 7:1).
Haywood County Schools also operates Pisgah High (859 students) and Waynesville Middle (727 students) alongside Tuscola 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 Tuscola High compares
Tuscola 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 | 15.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.8% | ▼ 31% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 873 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
873
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 50% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
35.1%
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
$12,690
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 291 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
78
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 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 83.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 83.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.8, Tuscola High 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 Haywood County Schools, which includes Tuscola High.
$12,690
Per student
+6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.5%
State 54.0%
Federal 20.5%
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 Tuscola High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pisgah High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waynesville Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bethel Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clyde Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hazelwood Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tuscola High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 859
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar high schools in Waynesville
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 (~873 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tuscola High's federal record.
- Compare Tuscola High against another school. Compare schools
- Haywood 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 Tuscola High
How many students attend Tuscola High?
Tuscola High has 873 students enrolled. It is a high school in Waynesville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tuscola High?
The student-teacher ratio at Tuscola High is 15.1:1, which is 4% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 4% 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 Tuscola High?
45.8% of students at Tuscola High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tuscola High?
The largest demographic group at Tuscola High is White at 83.0% of enrollment, in Waynesville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tuscola High?
Tuscola High has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Tuscola High rank among public schools in Waynesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Tuscola High ranks #3 of 8 public schools in Waynesville, 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 Waynesville on the city page.
Is Tuscola High a good school?
Tuscola High earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Haywood County Schools?
Besides Tuscola High, Haywood County Schools also operates Pisgah High (859 students), Waynesville Middle (727 students), and Bethel Elementary (537 students). See the Haywood 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.