Enrollment
264
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Barco, NC
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370108000448
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Barco · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 36.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Barco, NC.
School address
District: Currituck County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370108000448 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Barco, North Carolina, enrolling 264 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 264 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 144 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #135, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Two or More (14%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 528 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Currituck County Schools also operates Currituck County High (1,061 students) and Moyock Elementary (740 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary compares
Central 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 12% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.0% | ▼ 45% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 264 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
264
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 34% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.8%
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
$11,948
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 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 65.2%
Two or More 14.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%
African American 9.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.5, Central 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 Currituck County Schools, which includes Central Elementary.
$11,948
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.7%
State 55.9%
Federal 13.4%
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 Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currituck County High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moyock Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Moyock Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shawboro Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Currituck County Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,061
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~264 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Currituck 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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 264 students enrolled. It is a public school in Barco, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 13.9:1, which is 12% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% 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 Central Elementary?
36.0% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is White at 65.2% of enrollment, in Barco, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Central Elementary rank among public schools in Barco?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Barco, 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 Barco on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 36/100 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 Currituck County Schools?
Besides Central Elementary, Currituck County Schools also operates Currituck County High (1,061 students), Moyock Elementary (740 students), and Moyock Middle (635 students). See the Currituck 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.