An equity score of 71/100 ranks Richmond County Schools #45 of 297 districts in North Carolina (state average 45). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,661 per pupil, Richmond County Schools ranks #125 of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (North Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
6,678
Total Enrollment
15
Schools
$12,661
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Richmond County Schools operates 15 public schools serving 6,678 students, placing it among the smaller districts in North Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 4 middle, 3 high, 1 elementary schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Richmond County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,661 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 328 North Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how North Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 14.0% local, 63.2% state, and 22.8% 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 71/100, ranked #45 of 297 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.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 15 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), a 346.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 40.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 36.2% African American, 35.7% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Ellerbe Middle, with a diversity index of 73.5/100.
Its largest campus is Richmond Senior High, enrolling 1,365 students (21% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Ashley Chapel Educational Center, at 59 students, a 23x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Richmond Senior High accounts for 20.4% of all Richmond County Schools student enrollment
That concentration means Richmond County Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
Richmond County Schools school enrollment varies 23× across entities
Richmond County Schools school enrollment ranges from 59 students (lowest) to 1,365 students (highest), a spread of 1,306 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Richmond County Schools reports 99.0% free-lunch eligibility
The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
Richmond County Schools student-counselor ratio is 346:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
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 Variation between sub-units within Richmond County Schools is typically wider than the Richmond County Schools-aggregate figure suggests.
Richmond County Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 40.4% — 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.
Richmond County Schools has 15 schools, including 3 high, 4 middle, 7 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 6,678 students.
How much does Richmond County Schools spend per student?
Richmond County Schools spends $12,661 per student. The district has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #45 in North Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Richmond County Schools?
Richmond County Schools students are 36.2% African American, 35.7% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.1% Asian, averaged across 15 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Richmond County Schools?
Richmond County Schools has an equity score of 71/100, ranking #45 out of 297 districts in North Carolina.