Enrollment
654
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Arden, NC
Valley Springs Middle
Federal NCES profile for Valley Springs Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370045000165
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Springs Middle earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Arden · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 48.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Springs Middle has class sizes smaller than 80% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Springs Middle ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Arden, NC.
School address
District: Buncombe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370045000165 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Springs Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Springs Middle
Valley Springs Middle is a mid-sized elementary school in Arden, North Carolina, enrolling 654 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 654 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 475 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #65.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 327 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 231 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 654 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students) and Reynolds High (1,169 students) alongside Valley Springs 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 Valley Springs Middle compares
Valley Springs 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 19% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.3% | ▼ 27% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 654 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
654
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 20% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$13,190
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 327 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
133
in-school suspensions + 98 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.3 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
White 51.2%
Hispanic or Latino 26.9%
African American 10.9%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: White at 51.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.8, Valley Springs 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 Buncombe County Schools, which includes Valley Springs Middle.
$13,190
Per student
+10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.2%
State 49.5%
Federal 21.3%
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 Valley Springs Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roberson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Reynolds High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enka High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Erwin High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Buncombe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Springs Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,479
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,169
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary 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 (~654 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Springs Middle's federal record.
- Compare Valley Springs Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Buncombe 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 Valley Springs Middle
How many students attend Valley Springs Middle?
Valley Springs Middle has 654 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Arden, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Springs Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Springs Middle is 12.8:1, which is 19% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 18% 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 Valley Springs Middle?
48.3% of students at Valley Springs Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Springs Middle?
The largest demographic group at Valley Springs Middle is White at 51.2% of enrollment, in Arden, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Springs Middle?
Valley Springs Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Valley Springs Middle rank among public schools in Arden?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Springs Middle ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Arden, 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 Arden on the city page.
Is Valley Springs Middle a good school?
Valley Springs Middle earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% 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 Buncombe County Schools?
Besides Valley Springs Middle, Buncombe County Schools also operates Roberson High (1,479 students), Reynolds High (1,169 students), and Enka High (1,051 students). See the Buncombe 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.