Enrollment
662
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Locust, NC
West Stanly Middle School
Federal NCES profile for West Stanly Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 370432002649
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Stanly Middle School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools.
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.4:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 39.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 662
- students enrolled
West Stanly Middle School has class sizes larger than 83% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Stanly County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370432002649 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Stanly Middle School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Stanly Middle School
West Stanly Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Locust, North Carolina, enrolling 662 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.4:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 662 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 436 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #410, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 662 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Stanly County Schools also operates West Stanly High (800 students) and North Stanly High (568 students) alongside West Stanly 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 West Stanly Middle School compares
West Stanly 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 | 18.4:1 | ▲ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.4% | ▼ 40% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 662 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.4:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
662
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 83% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.1%
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
$11,496
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 662 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
67
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.6 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 71.3%
Hispanic or Latino 15.3%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 5.3%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.1, West Stanly Middle School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Stanly County Schools, which includes West Stanly Middle School.
$11,496
Per student
-4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.7%
State 60.2%
Federal 21.1%
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.
How West Stanly Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Stanly High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Stanly High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Locust Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stanfield Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Stanly Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 525
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~662 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Stanly Middle School's federal record.
- Compare West Stanly Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Stanly 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 Stanly Middle School
How many students attend West Stanly Middle School?
West Stanly Middle School has 662 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Locust, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Stanly Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Stanly Middle School is 18.4:1, which is 16% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Stanly Middle School?
39.4% of students at West Stanly Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Stanly Middle School?
The largest demographic group at West Stanly Middle School is White at 71.3% of enrollment, in Locust, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Stanly Middle School?
West Stanly Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Stanly Middle School a good school?
West Stanly Middle School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Stanly County Schools?
Besides West Stanly Middle School, Stanly County Schools also operates West Stanly High (800 students), North Stanly High (568 students), and Locust Elementary (563 students). See the Stanly 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.