Enrollment
445
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bessemer City, NC
Bessemer City Primary
Federal NCES profile for Bessemer City Primary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370162000669
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bessemer City Primary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Bessemer City · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 99.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Bessemer City Primary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bessemer City Primary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Bessemer City, NC.
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370162000669 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bessemer City Primary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bessemer City Primary
Bessemer City Primary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Bessemer City, North Carolina, enrolling 445 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 445 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 540 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #455, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (38%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 445 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bessemer City's public schools, it stands alongside Tryon Elementary (336 students): Bessemer City Primary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.5:1 vs 13.4:1).
Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students) and Hunter Huss High (1,165 students) alongside Bessemer City Primary.
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 Bessemer City Primary compares
Bessemer City Primary 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.3% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 445 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
445
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 68% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.1%
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
$11,409
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 445 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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 38.0%
African American 28.3%
Hispanic or Latino 23.8%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 38.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.0, Bessemer City Primary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gaston County Schools, which includes Bessemer City Primary.
$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 Bessemer City Primary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrook High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hunter Huss High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Gaston High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Point High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bessemer City Primary'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 other schools in Bessemer City
1 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 (~445 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bessemer City Primary's federal record.
- Compare Bessemer City Primary 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 Bessemer City Primary
How many students attend Bessemer City Primary?
Bessemer City Primary has 445 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bessemer City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bessemer City Primary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bessemer City Primary is 16.5:1, which is 4% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bessemer City Primary?
99.3% of students at Bessemer City Primary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bessemer City Primary?
The largest demographic group at Bessemer City Primary is White at 38.0% of enrollment, in Bessemer City, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bessemer City Primary?
Bessemer City Primary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Bessemer City Primary rank among public schools in Bessemer City?
By Resource Investment Index, Bessemer City Primary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Bessemer City, 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 Bessemer City on the city page.
Is Bessemer City Primary a good school?
Bessemer City Primary earns 29/100 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 Gaston County Schools?
Besides Bessemer City Primary, 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.