Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 33 schools in district

Carson High

290 Kress Venture Dr, China Grove, NC 28023Rowan-Salisbury Schools →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–12Non-Charter
1,170
Students
Total enrolled
89%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
~avg
$12,322
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 14% vs nat'l
19.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 25% vs nat'l
38/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 25% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 1,170 students in grades 09–12 in China Grove, North Carolina.
14% below average funding
District spends $12,322 per pupil, 14% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 38th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Carson High is a very large high in China Grove, North Carolina, serving grades 09–12 with 1,170 students. The district invests $12,322 per student — 14% below the national average of $14,347, with a 19.3:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 48% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 38/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Carson High

1,170
Total Students
19.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
48%
Free Lunch
61
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (09–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution613 male · 557 female
52%
48%
Male 52%Female 48%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility48%
National avg 52% · 565 students
Student Composition
69%
21%
Asian1%
White69%
Hispanic / Latino21%
Black4%
Multiracial5%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 370405002882

Academic Outcomes at Carson High

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
89
Near avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
89%
State avg
84%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
38
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 38th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 19th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 28023

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$12,322Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$12,322
State avg
$13,042
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,422
Student Support$2,341
Administration$1,479
Operations$1,848
Other$1,232
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $12,322 spent per student, an estimated $5,459 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
60%
19%
State government
60.4%
Local (property tax)
18.6%
Federal programs
21.0%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 89% graduation rate — near the national average of 87%
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
China Grove ElementaryLandis ElementaryWest Rowan ElementaryMillbridge Elementary
+13 more
↓
Middle
Erwin MiddleWest Rowan MiddleSoutheast MiddleChina Grove Middle
+3 more
↓
High School
West Rowan HighEast Rowan HighSalisbury HighSouth Rowan High
+2 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location—
CountyRowan County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictRowan-Salisbury Schools →
Phone: (704)855-7297
NCES ID: 370405002882
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in China Grove seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Rowan-Salisbury Schools
High
West Rowan High
1,113 students · 09–12
● 37 opp56% FRL
High
East Rowan High
1,032 students · 09–12
● 35 opp51% FRL
High
Salisbury High
959 students · 09–12
● 32 opp65% FRL
High
South Rowan High
952 students · 09–12
● 38 opp52% FRL
Mid
Erwin Middle
759 students · 06–08
● 35 opp56% FRL
Mid
West Rowan Middle
648 students · 06–08
● 37 opp60% FRL
Elem
China Grove Elementary
618 students · PK–05
● 38 opp68% FRL
High
North Rowan High
589 students · 09–12
● 32 opp66% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
290 Kress Venture Dr, China Grove, NC 28023
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.