Enrollment
543
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Denver, NC
Catawba Springs Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Catawba Springs Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370268002163
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Catawba Springs Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 27.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Catawba Springs 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, Catawba Springs Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Denver, NC.
School address
District: Lincoln County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370268002163 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Catawba Springs Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Catawba Springs Elementary
Catawba Springs Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Denver, North Carolina, enrolling 543 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 27.6% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the North Carolina average.
With 543 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 259 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #12, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 272 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Denver's public schools, it stands alongside Lincoln Charter School (2,316 students): Catawba Springs Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17:1 vs 18:1).
Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students) and East Lincoln High (1,047 students) alongside Catawba Springs 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 Catawba Springs Elementary compares
Catawba Springs 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 | 27.6% | ▼ 58% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 543 | top 43% | - | - |
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.
543
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
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
9.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,582
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 272 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 68.3%
Hispanic or Latino 10.9%
Two or More 8.5%
African American 7.9%
Asian 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 68.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.7, Catawba Springs 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 Lincoln County Schools, which includes Catawba Springs Elementary.
$10,582
Per student
-12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 58.7%
Federal 18.8%
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 Catawba Springs Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincolnton High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Lincoln Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Catawba Springs Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,126
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Denver
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 (~543 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Catawba Springs Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Catawba Springs Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln 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 Catawba Springs Elementary
How many students attend Catawba Springs Elementary?
Catawba Springs Elementary has 543 students enrolled. It is a public school in Denver, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Catawba Springs Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Catawba Springs 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 Catawba Springs Elementary?
27.6% of students at Catawba Springs Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Catawba Springs Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Catawba Springs Elementary is White at 68.3% of enrollment, in Denver, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Catawba Springs Elementary?
Catawba Springs Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Catawba Springs Elementary rank among schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Catawba Springs Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Denver, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Catawba Springs Elementary a good school?
Catawba Springs Elementary earns 56/100 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 Lincoln County Schools?
Besides Catawba Springs Elementary, Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students), East Lincoln High (1,047 students), and Lincolnton High (797 students). See the Lincoln 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.