Enrollment
283
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370309003571
Connect Academy — Southern Pines, NC
Federal NCES profile for Connect Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 22/100.
👥 Class size 22
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Moore County Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
42.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Connect Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Connect Academy reports 283 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 19.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 19% above the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 42.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 35% below the North Carolina average and 18% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Moore County Schools spends $11,884 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 23.6% from local sources (property taxes), 57.2% from the state, and 19.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (F), calculated from 1 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Connect Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.5:1 | ▲ 19% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 42.6% | ▼ 35% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 283 | top 21% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
42.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 35% 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
19.5:1
students per teacher
— 19% above state mean
Top 90% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$11,884
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Overview
Enrollment 283 Top 21% in North Carolina — larger than 79% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 19.5:1 +19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 42.6% -35% vs state
NCES ID 370309003571
Student demographics
White 71.7%
African American 12.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 71.7% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Moore County Schools, which includes Connect Academy.
$11,884
Per student
-9%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-39%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,290
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Enrollment
- 1,462
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 707
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
Similar other schools in Southern Pines
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Connect Academy
How many students attend Connect Academy?
Connect Academy has 283 students enrolled. It is a other school in Southern Pines, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Connect Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Connect Academy is 19.5:1, which is 19% higher than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Connect Academy?
42.6% of students at Connect Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Connect Academy?
The largest demographic group at Connect Academy is White at 71.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Southern Pines, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Connect Academy?
Connect Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (F) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.