Enrollment
343
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Mount Gilead, NC
West Middle
Federal NCES profile for West Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370306002268
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Middle earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- students per teacher
- 64.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 343
- students enrolled
West Middle has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Montgomery County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370306002268 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Middle compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Middle
West Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Mount Gilead, North Carolina, enrolling 343 students.
At 15.6:1, 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 64.1% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 343 puts it in the smaller 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 307 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #196.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 123 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 343 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Montgomery County Schools also operates Montgomery Central High (846 students) and East Middle (422 students) alongside West 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 West Middle compares
West 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.1% | ▼ 3% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 343 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
343
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 57% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.2%
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
$14,181
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 343 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
108
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 31.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 35.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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
White 46.4%
African American 27.4%
Hispanic or Latino 15.7%
Two or More 8.2%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 46.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, West 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 Montgomery County Schools, which includes West Middle.
$14,181
Per student
+18%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.8%
State 53.3%
Federal 27.9%
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 West Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Candor Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Troy Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Montgomery County Early College | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 846
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 422
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 291
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 282
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~343 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Middle's federal record.
- Compare West Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Montgomery 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 West Middle
How many students attend West Middle?
West Middle has 343 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Mount Gilead, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at West Middle is 15.6:1, which is 1% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% 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 West Middle?
64.1% of students at West Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Middle?
The largest demographic group at West Middle is White at 46.4% of enrollment, in Mount Gilead, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Middle?
West Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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).
Is West Middle a good school?
West Middle earns 39/100 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 Montgomery County Schools?
Besides West Middle, Montgomery County Schools also operates Montgomery Central High (846 students), East Middle (422 students), and Candor Elementary (368 students). See the Montgomery 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.