Enrollment
147
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Clarkton, NC
Clarkton School of Discovery
Federal NCES profile for Clarkton School of Discovery, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370039000113
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clarkton School of Discovery earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of North Carolina schools.
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.8:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 98.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 147
- students enrolled
Clarkton School of Discovery has class sizes smaller than 95% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Bladen County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370039000113 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clarkton School of Discovery compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clarkton School of Discovery
Clarkton School of Discovery is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Clarkton, North Carolina, enrolling 147 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.8:1, Clarkton School of Discovery is leaner than roughly 95% of North Carolina schools and 38% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.6% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of North Carolina schools, with 147 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 103 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #28.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and White (31%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 184 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 66 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 147 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Bladen County Schools also operates West Bladen High (720 students) and East Bladen High (525 students) alongside Clarkton School of Discovery.
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 Clarkton School of Discovery compares
Clarkton School of Discovery 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 | 9.8:1 | ▼ 38% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.6% | ▲ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 147 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.8:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
147
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above 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
9.8:1
students per teacher
- 38% below state mean
Top 5% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.6%
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
$13,797
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 44.9 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 49.7%
White 31.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 7.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
Largest group: African American at 49.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.0, Clarkton School of Discovery is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bladen County Schools, which includes Clarkton School of Discovery.
$13,797
Per student
+15%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 14.4%
State 59.5%
Federal 26.1%
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 Clarkton School of Discovery Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bladen High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Bladen High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Elizabethtown Primary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Tar Heel Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bladenboro Primary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clarkton School of Discovery's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 525
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 29.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 448
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary 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 (~147 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clarkton School of Discovery's federal record.
- Compare Clarkton School of Discovery against another school. Compare schools
- Bladen 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 Clarkton School of Discovery
How many students attend Clarkton School of Discovery?
Clarkton School of Discovery has 147 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Clarkton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clarkton School of Discovery?
The student-teacher ratio at Clarkton School of Discovery is 9.8:1, which is 38% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 38% 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 Clarkton School of Discovery?
98.6% of students at Clarkton School of Discovery are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clarkton School of Discovery?
The largest demographic group at Clarkton School of Discovery is African American at 49.7% of enrollment, in Clarkton, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clarkton School of Discovery?
Clarkton School of Discovery has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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).
Is Clarkton School of Discovery a good school?
Clarkton School of Discovery earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% 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 Bladen County Schools?
Besides Clarkton School of Discovery, Bladen County Schools also operates West Bladen High (720 students), East Bladen High (525 students), and Elizabethtown Primary (483 students). See the Bladen 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.