Enrollment
548
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kings Mountain, NC
Bethware Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bethware Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370090002707
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethware Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Kings Mountain · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 98.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Bethware Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bethware Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Kings Mountain, NC.
School address
District: Cleveland County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370090002707 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethware Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethware Elementary
Bethware Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, enrolling 548 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 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 98.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 548 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 566 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #103.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and African American (20%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 548 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kings Mountain's public schools, it stands alongside West Elementary (289 students): Bethware Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 13.1:1).
Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students) and Crest High (1,098 students) alongside Bethware 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 Bethware Elementary compares
Bethware 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.1% | ▲ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 548 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
548
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 69% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,957
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 548 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 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 61.5%
African American 20.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 61.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.6, Bethware Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cleveland County Schools, which includes Bethware Elementary.
$11,957
Per student
0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.4%
State 59.1%
Federal 19.5%
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 Bethware Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Mountain High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Burns High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crest Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shelby High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethware Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 810
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Kings Mountain
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 (~548 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethware Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bethware Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cleveland 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 Bethware Elementary
How many students attend Bethware Elementary?
Bethware Elementary has 548 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kings Mountain, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethware Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethware Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 5% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bethware Elementary?
98.1% of students at Bethware Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethware Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bethware Elementary is White at 61.5% of enrollment, in Kings Mountain, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethware Elementary?
Bethware Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Bethware Elementary rank among schools in Kings Mountain?
By Resource Investment Index, Bethware Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Kings Mountain, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kings Mountain on the city page.
Is Bethware Elementary a good school?
Bethware Elementary earns 43/100 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 Cleveland County Schools?
Besides Bethware Elementary, Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students), Crest High (1,098 students), and Burns High (928 students). See the Cleveland 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.