Enrollment
693
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Belmont, NC
Belmont Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Belmont Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370162000665
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Belmont Central Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 7
- public schools in Belmont · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 28.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Belmont Central Elementary has class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Belmont Central Elementary ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Belmont, NC.
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370162000665 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Belmont Central Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Belmont Central Elementary
Belmont Central Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Belmont, North Carolina, enrolling 693 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.3:1 is larger than about 88% of North Carolina schools and 22% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 28.6% free-meal eligibility runs 57% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 693 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 304 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #65.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 300 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students) and Hunter Huss High (1,165 students) alongside Belmont Central 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 Belmont Central Elementary compares
Belmont Central 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 | 19.3:1 | ▲ 22% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.6% | ▼ 57% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 693 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
693
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 88% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,409
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
Counselors2.3 FTE
Per 300 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
28
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 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 71.0%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
African American 10.0%
Two or More 3.6%
Asian 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 71.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.8, Belmont Central 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 Gaston County Schools, which includes Belmont Central Elementary.
$11,409
Per student
-5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.3%
State 64.3%
Federal 19.4%
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 Belmont Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrook High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hunter Huss High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Gaston High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Point High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Belmont Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,386
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,061
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary 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 (~693 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Belmont Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Belmont Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Gaston 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 Belmont Central Elementary
How many students attend Belmont Central Elementary?
Belmont Central Elementary has 693 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Belmont, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Belmont Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Belmont Central Elementary is 19.3:1, which is 22% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Belmont Central Elementary?
28.6% of students at Belmont Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Belmont Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Belmont Central Elementary is White at 71.0% of enrollment, in Belmont, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Belmont Central Elementary?
Belmont Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Belmont Central Elementary rank among public schools in Belmont?
By Resource Investment Index, Belmont Central Elementary ranks #1 of 7 public schools in Belmont, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Belmont on the city page.
Is Belmont Central Elementary a good school?
Belmont Central Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Gaston County Schools?
Besides Belmont Central Elementary, Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students), Hunter Huss High (1,165 students), and Forestview High (1,133 students). See the Gaston 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.