Enrollment
762
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Wendell, NC
Wendell Middle
Federal NCES profile for Wendell Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370472002825
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wendell Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Wendell · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 59.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Wendell Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wendell Middle ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Wendell, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472002825 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wendell Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wendell Middle
Wendell Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Wendell, North Carolina, enrolling 762 students.
At 14.7:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.0% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 762 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 412 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #255.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (39%) and African American (36%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 381 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 418 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 762 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Wendell's middle schools, it stands alongside Archer Lodge Middle (1,204 students): Wendell Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 19.4:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Wendell 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 Wendell Middle compares
Wendell 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 7% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.0% | ▼ 11% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 762 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
762
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 45% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.5%
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
$11,859
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 381 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
246
in-school suspensions + 172 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 32.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 54.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 38.5%
African American 36.0%
White 17.7%
Two or More 5.2%
Asian 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.8, Wendell 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 Wake County Schools, which includes Wendell Middle.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 Wendell Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wendell Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Wendell
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~762 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wendell Middle's federal record.
- Compare Wendell Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Wake 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 Wendell Middle
How many students attend Wendell Middle?
Wendell Middle has 762 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Wendell, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wendell Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Wendell Middle is 14.7:1, which is 7% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% 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 Wendell Middle?
59.0% of students at Wendell Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wendell Middle?
The largest demographic group at Wendell Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 38.5% of enrollment, in Wendell, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wendell Middle?
Wendell Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Wendell Middle rank among public schools in Wendell?
By Resource Investment Index, Wendell Middle ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Wendell, 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 Wendell on the city page.
Is Wendell Middle a good school?
Wendell Middle earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Wendell Middle, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake 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.