Enrollment
712
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fayetteville, NC
Bill Hefner Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bill Hefner Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370001101377
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bill Hefner Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina schools.
- #14 of 27
- schools in Fayetteville · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Bill Hefner Elementary has class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bill Hefner Elementary ranks #14 of 27 schools in Fayetteville, NC.
School address
District: Cumberland County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370001101377 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bill Hefner Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bill Hefner Elementary
Bill Hefner Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fayetteville, North Carolina, enrolling 712 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.5% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 712 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 441 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #135.
Its student body is led by African American (57%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 356 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fayetteville's public schools, it stands alongside Alpha Academy (960 students): Bill Hefner Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17:1 vs 22.3:1).
Cumberland County Schools also operates Jack Britt High (1,940 students) and Pine Forest High (1,551 students) alongside Bill Hefner 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 Bill Hefner Elementary compares
Bill Hefner 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 712 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
712
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 73% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$12,412
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 356 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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
African American 56.7%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
White 13.2%
Two or More 10.8%
Asian 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 56.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Bill Hefner Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cumberland County Schools, which includes Bill Hefner Elementary.
$12,412
Per student
+3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.5%
State 57.7%
Federal 25.7%
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 Bill Hefner Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Britt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine Forest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cape Fear High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South View High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gray's Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bill Hefner Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,940
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,551
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,515
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,461
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,458
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Fayetteville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Alpha Academy
Standard public school
960 students 22.3:1 students per teacher
The Capitol Encore Academy
Standard public school
853 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
New Century International Elementary
Standard public school
686 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
E E Miller Elementary
Standard public school
656 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Lake Rim Elementary
Standard public school
656 students 16:1 students per teacher
Alderman Road Elementary
Standard public school
655 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~712 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bill Hefner Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bill Hefner Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cumberland 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 Bill Hefner Elementary
How many students attend Bill Hefner Elementary?
Bill Hefner Elementary has 712 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fayetteville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bill Hefner Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bill Hefner Elementary is 17:1, which is 8% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bill Hefner Elementary?
99.5% of students at Bill Hefner Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bill Hefner Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bill Hefner Elementary is African American at 56.7% of enrollment, in Fayetteville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bill Hefner Elementary?
Bill Hefner Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Bill Hefner Elementary rank among schools in Fayetteville?
By Resource Investment Index, Bill Hefner Elementary ranks #14 of 27 schools in Fayetteville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fayetteville on the city page.
Is Bill Hefner Elementary a good school?
Bill Hefner Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Cumberland County Schools?
Besides Bill Hefner Elementary, Cumberland County Schools also operates Jack Britt High (1,940 students), Pine Forest High (1,551 students), and Cape Fear High (1,515 students). See the Cumberland 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.