Enrollment
537
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Canton, NC
Bethel Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bethel Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370204000579
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethel Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Canton · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 99.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Bethel Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Canton, NC.
School address
District: Haywood County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370204000579 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethel Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethel Elementary
Bethel Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Canton, North Carolina, enrolling 537 students.
At 14.9:1, 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 above the state's typical profile, with 99.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 537 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 559 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #304.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 537 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Haywood County Schools also operates Tuscola High (873 students) and Pisgah High (859 students) alongside Bethel 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 Bethel Elementary compares
Bethel 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 | 14.9:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.2% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 537 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
537
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.2%
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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.4%
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
$12,690
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 537 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 89.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 2.8%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 89.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.5, Bethel 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 Haywood County Schools, which includes Bethel Elementary.
$12,690
Per student
+6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.5%
State 54.0%
Federal 20.5%
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 Bethel Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscola High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pisgah High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waynesville Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clyde Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hazelwood Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethel Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 873
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 859
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~537 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethel Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bethel Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Haywood 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 Bethel Elementary
How many students attend Bethel Elementary?
Bethel Elementary has 537 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Canton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethel Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethel Elementary is 14.9:1, which is 6% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 5% 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 Bethel Elementary?
99.2% of students at Bethel Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethel Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bethel Elementary is White at 89.4% of enrollment, in Canton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethel Elementary?
Bethel Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Bethel Elementary rank among public schools in Canton?
By Resource Investment Index, Bethel Elementary ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Canton, 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 Canton on the city page.
Is Bethel Elementary a good school?
Bethel Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Haywood County Schools?
Besides Bethel Elementary, Haywood County Schools also operates Tuscola High (873 students), Pisgah High (859 students), and Waynesville Middle (727 students). See the Haywood 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.