Enrollment
441
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 370048002662
Walter R Johnson Middle — Morganton, NC
Federal NCES profile for Walter R Johnson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Burke County Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter R Johnson Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Walter R Johnson Middle reports 441 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 32.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 82.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 25% above the North Carolina average and 59% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 147 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 40.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Burke County Schools spends $12,502 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 15.2% from local sources (property taxes), 61.7% from the state, and 23.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Walter R Johnson Middle compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▼ 12% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.2% | ▲ 25% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 441 | top 42% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
82.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 25% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
— 12% below state mean
Top 41% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
40.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,502
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 147 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
77
in-school suspensions + 89 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 441 Top 42% in North Carolina — larger than 58% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 32.0
Students per teacher 14.5:1 -12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 82.2% +25% vs state
NCES ID 370048002662
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 64.4%
White 21.3%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 5.4%
Asian 2.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 64.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 147:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 40.1%
In-school suspensions 77
Out-of-school suspensions 89
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Burke County Schools, which includes Walter R Johnson Middle.
$12,502
Per student
-4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 15.2%
State 61.7%
Federal 23.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
Similar middle schools in Morganton
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Walter R Johnson Middle
How many students attend Walter R Johnson Middle?
Walter R Johnson Middle has 441 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Morganton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter R Johnson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter R Johnson Middle is 14.5:1, which is 12% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walter R Johnson Middle?
82.2% of students at Walter R Johnson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter R Johnson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Walter R Johnson Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 64.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Morganton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter R Johnson Middle?
Walter R Johnson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.