Enrollment
473
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hendersonville, NC
Bruce Drysdale Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bruce Drysdale Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370210000927
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bruce Drysdale Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #6 of 6
- schools in Hendersonville · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 58.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Bruce Drysdale Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bruce Drysdale Elementary ranks #6 of 6 schools in Hendersonville, NC.
School address
District: Henderson County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370210000927 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bruce Drysdale Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bruce Drysdale Elementary
Bruce Drysdale Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hendersonville, North Carolina, enrolling 473 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.0% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 473 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.
Among 480 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #416, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 473 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hendersonville's public schools, it stands alongside Clear Creek Elementary (435 students): Bruce Drysdale Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.3:1 vs 13.6:1).
Henderson County Schools also operates West Henderson High (1,053 students) and North Henderson High (1,052 students) alongside Bruce Drysdale 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 Bruce Drysdale Elementary compares
Bruce Drysdale 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.0% | ▼ 12% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 473 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
473
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 66% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
34.0%
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
$11,469
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 473 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 42.9%
Hispanic or Latino 30.7%
Two or More 10.8%
African American 10.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 42.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Bruce Drysdale 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 Henderson County Schools, which includes Bruce Drysdale Elementary.
$11,469
Per student
-5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.8%
State 58.3%
Federal 19.9%
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 Bruce Drysdale Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Henderson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Henderson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Henderson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rugby Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Apple Valley Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bruce Drysdale Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,052
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 849
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Hendersonville
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Clear Creek Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Sugarloaf Elementary
Standard public school
415 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Edneyville Elementary
Standard public school
405 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Dana Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Atkinson Elementary
Standard public school
288 students 13.7:1 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 (~473 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bruce Drysdale Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bruce Drysdale Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Henderson 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 Bruce Drysdale Elementary
How many students attend Bruce Drysdale Elementary?
Bruce Drysdale Elementary has 473 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hendersonville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bruce Drysdale Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bruce Drysdale Elementary is 16.3:1, which is 3% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bruce Drysdale Elementary?
58.0% of students at Bruce Drysdale Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bruce Drysdale Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bruce Drysdale Elementary is White at 42.9% of enrollment, in Hendersonville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bruce Drysdale Elementary?
Bruce Drysdale Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Bruce Drysdale Elementary rank among schools in Hendersonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Bruce Drysdale Elementary ranks #6 of 6 schools in Hendersonville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hendersonville on the city page.
Is Bruce Drysdale Elementary a good school?
Bruce Drysdale Elementary earns 31/100 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 Henderson County Schools?
Besides Bruce Drysdale Elementary, Henderson County Schools also operates West Henderson High (1,053 students), North Henderson High (1,052 students), and East Henderson High (932 students). See the Henderson 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.