Enrollment
686
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Newton, NC
Balls Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Balls Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370069000273
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Balls Creek Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Newton · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 51.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Balls Creek Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Balls Creek Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Newton, NC.
School address
District: Catawba County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370069000273 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Balls Creek Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Balls Creek Elementary
Balls Creek Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Newton, North Carolina, enrolling 686 students.
At 15.2:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 51.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 686 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 486 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #342.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 686 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Newton's public schools, it stands alongside Startown Elementary (540 students): Balls Creek Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 15:1).
Catawba County Schools also operates Saint Stephens High (1,268 students) and Bandys High (935 students) alongside Balls Creek Elementary.
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 Balls Creek Elementary compares
Balls Creek Elementary 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 | 15.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.3% | ▼ 22% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 686 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
686
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 52% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.4%
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
$11,517
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 686 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 74.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 7.0%
Asian 5.2%
African American 4.2%
Largest group: White at 74.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.3, Balls Creek Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Catawba County Schools, which includes Balls Creek Elementary.
$11,517
Per student
-4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 55.4%
Federal 22.2%
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 Balls Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Stephens High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bandys High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fred T Foard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Maiden High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bunker Hill High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Balls Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 930
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Newton
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~686 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Balls Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Balls Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Catawba 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 Balls Creek Elementary
How many students attend Balls Creek Elementary?
Balls Creek Elementary has 686 students enrolled. It is a public school in Newton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Balls Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Balls Creek Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 4% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 3% 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 Balls Creek Elementary?
51.3% of students at Balls Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Balls Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Balls Creek Elementary is White at 74.1% of enrollment, in Newton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Balls Creek Elementary?
Balls Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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).
How does Balls Creek Elementary rank among schools in Newton?
By Resource Investment Index, Balls Creek Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Newton, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Newton on the city page.
Is Balls Creek Elementary a good school?
Balls Creek Elementary earns 34/100 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 Catawba County Schools?
Besides Balls Creek Elementary, Catawba County Schools also operates Saint Stephens High (1,268 students), Bandys High (935 students), and Fred T Foard High (930 students). See the Catawba 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.