Enrollment
435
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Taylorsville, NC
Bethlehem Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bethlehem Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370009000029
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethlehem Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Taylorsville · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 49.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Bethlehem Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bethlehem Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Taylorsville, NC.
School address
District: Alexander County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370009000029 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethlehem Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethlehem Elementary
Bethlehem Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Taylorsville, North Carolina, enrolling 435 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 435 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 404 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #67.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 435 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 20.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Taylorsville's public schools, it stands alongside Wittenburg Elementary (294 students): Bethlehem Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 16.3:1).
Alexander County Schools also operates Alexander Central High (1,254 students) and East Alexander Middle (510 students) alongside Bethlehem 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 Bethlehem Elementary compares
Bethlehem 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 | 16.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.3% | ▼ 25% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 435 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
435
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 64% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
9.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,879
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 435 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.2 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 77.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Two or More 6.0%
Asian 4.4%
African American 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 77.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.1, Bethlehem 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 Alexander County Schools, which includes Bethlehem Elementary.
$12,879
Per student
+7%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.3%
State 63.6%
Federal 20.1%
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 Bethlehem Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Alexander Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Alexander Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hiddenite Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wittenburg Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethlehem Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,254
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 467
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 294
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Taylorsville
2 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 (~435 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethlehem Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bethlehem Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alexander 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 Bethlehem Elementary
How many students attend Bethlehem Elementary?
Bethlehem Elementary has 435 students enrolled. It is a public school in Taylorsville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethlehem Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethlehem Elementary is 16.1:1, which is 2% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bethlehem Elementary?
49.3% of students at Bethlehem Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethlehem Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bethlehem Elementary is White at 77.0% of enrollment, in Taylorsville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethlehem Elementary?
Bethlehem Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Bethlehem Elementary rank among schools in Taylorsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Bethlehem Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Taylorsville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Taylorsville on the city page.
Is Bethlehem Elementary a good school?
Bethlehem Elementary earns 49/100 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 Alexander County Schools?
Besides Bethlehem Elementary, Alexander County Schools also operates Alexander Central High (1,254 students), East Alexander Middle (510 students), and West Alexander Middle (467 students). See the Alexander 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.