Enrollment
618
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Dallas, NC
W C Friday Middle School
Federal NCES profile for W C Friday Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370162000716
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
W C Friday Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Dallas · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.6:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 67.3%
- free-lunch eligible
W C Friday Middle School has class sizes larger than 91% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, W C Friday Middle School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Dallas, NC.
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370162000716 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How W C Friday Middle School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at W C Friday Middle School
W C Friday Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Dallas, North Carolina, enrolling 618 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.6:1 is larger than about 91% of North Carolina schools and 30% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 67.3% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 618 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 383 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #110.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 251 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.2% 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: 193 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 618 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 W C Friday Middle School.
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 W C Friday Middle School compares
W C Friday Middle School 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 | 20.6:1 | ▲ 30% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.3% | ▲ 2% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 618 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.6:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
618
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
20.6:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 91% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
28.2%
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
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 251 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
120
in-school suspensions + 73 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.2 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 47.2%
African American 23.8%
Hispanic or Latino 19.4%
Two or More 8.1%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 47.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.6, W C Friday Middle School 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 W C Friday Middle School.
$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 W C Friday Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrook High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hunter Huss High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Gaston High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Point High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to W C Friday Middle School'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 (~618 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on W C Friday Middle School's federal record.
- Compare W C Friday Middle School 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 W C Friday Middle School
How many students attend W C Friday Middle School?
W C Friday Middle School has 618 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Dallas, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at W C Friday Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at W C Friday Middle School is 20.6:1, which is 30% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at W C Friday Middle School?
67.3% of students at W C Friday Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of W C Friday Middle School?
The largest demographic group at W C Friday Middle School is White at 47.2% of enrollment, in Dallas, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for W C Friday Middle School?
W C Friday Middle School 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 W C Friday Middle School rank among public schools in Dallas?
By Resource Investment Index, W C Friday Middle School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Dallas, 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 Dallas on the city page.
Is W C Friday Middle School a good school?
W C Friday Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Gaston County Schools?
Besides W C Friday Middle School, 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.