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. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our
editorial standards & corrections policy, the
methodology behind these numbers, or
report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.
Sparta, North Carolina - 4 schools
An equity score of 87/100 ranks Alleghany County Schools #7 of 293 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,572 per pupil, Alleghany County Schools ranks #33 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,421
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$15,572
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Alleghany County Schools operates 4 public schools serving 1,421 students, placing it among the smallest districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 1 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Alleghany County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,572 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 33 of 322 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 14.6% local, 61.7% state, and 23.7% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 87/100, ranked #7 of 293 in North Carolina against a state average of 45, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 446.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 35.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 72.8% White, 24.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Sparta Elementary, with a diversity index of 48.9/100.
Its largest campus is Sparta Elementary, enrolling 523 students (39% of the district's total enrollment).
Sparta Elementary accounts for 36.8% of all Alleghany County Schools student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Alleghany County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Alleghany County Schools school enrollment varies 2.6× across entities
Alleghany County Schools school enrollment ranges from 198 students (lowest) to 523 students (highest), a spread of 325 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Alleghany County Schools has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 60.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Alleghany County Schools student-counselor ratio is 447:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Alleghany County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 35.7% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Alleghany County Schools has 4 schools, including 3 combined, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,421 students.
How much does Alleghany County Schools spend per student?
Alleghany County Schools spends $15,572 per student. The district has an equity score of 87/100, ranking #7 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Alleghany County Schools?
Alleghany County Schools students are 72.8% White, 24.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Alleghany County Schools?
Alleghany County Schools has an equity score of 87/100, ranking #7 out of 293 districts in North Carolina.