Enrollment
350
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Carthage, NC
Carthage Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carthage Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370309001317
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carthage Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Carthage · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 53.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Carthage Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carthage Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Carthage, NC.
School address
District: Moore County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370309001317 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carthage Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carthage Elementary
Carthage Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Carthage, North Carolina, enrolling 350 students.
At 15.2:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 53.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 350 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 336 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #281, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 350 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Carthage's public schools, it stands alongside The Community Learning Center @ Pinckney (77 students): Carthage Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.2:1 vs 15.4:1).
Moore County Schools also operates Pinecrest High (2,290 students) and Union Pines High (1,462 students) alongside Carthage 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 Carthage Elementary compares
Carthage 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 | 15.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.6% | ▼ 19% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 350 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
350
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 52% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.1%
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
$11,242
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 350 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 64.9%
African American 11.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.4%
Two or More 9.4%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 64.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.4, Carthage 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 Moore County Schools, which includes Carthage Elementary.
$11,242
Per student
-6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 57.2%
Federal 19.2%
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 Carthage Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinecrest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Union Pines High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Pine Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcdeeds Creek Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carthage Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,290
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,462
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 707
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Carthage
1 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 (~350 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carthage Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carthage Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Moore 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 Carthage Elementary
How many students attend Carthage Elementary?
Carthage Elementary has 350 students enrolled. It is a public school in Carthage, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carthage Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carthage Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 4% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 3% 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 Carthage Elementary?
53.6% of students at Carthage Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carthage Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carthage Elementary is White at 64.9% of enrollment, in Carthage, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carthage Elementary?
Carthage 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 Carthage Elementary rank among public schools in Carthage?
By Resource Investment Index, Carthage Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Carthage, 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 Carthage on the city page.
Is Carthage Elementary a good school?
Carthage Elementary earns 35/100 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 Moore County Schools?
Besides Carthage Elementary, Moore County Schools also operates Pinecrest High (2,290 students), Union Pines High (1,462 students), and West Pine Middle (717 students). See the Moore 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.