Enrollment
385
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Henderson, NC
Dabney Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dabney Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370465001815
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dabney Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #11 of 13
- schools in Henderson · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16:1
- students per teacher
- 99.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Dabney Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dabney Elementary ranks #11 of 13 schools in Henderson, NC.
School address
District: Vance County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370465001815 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dabney Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dabney Elementary
Dabney Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Henderson, North Carolina, enrolling 385 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 385 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 491 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #455, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (75%) and White (9%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1167 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Henderson's public schools, it stands alongside Henderson Collegiate (1,334 students): Dabney Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16:1 vs 16.7:1).
Vance County Schools also operates Vance County High School (1,064 students) and Vance County Middle School (755 students) alongside Dabney 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 Dabney Elementary compares
Dabney 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 1% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.2% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 385 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
385
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 62% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.5%
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
$12,944
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 75.1%
White 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: African American at 75.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.6, Dabney 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 Vance County Schools, which includes Dabney Elementary.
$12,944
Per student
+8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.4%
State 61.3%
Federal 23.3%
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 Dabney Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vance County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vance County Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aycock Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clarke Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| E M Rollins Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dabney Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,064
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 755
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 322
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Henderson
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Henderson Collegiate
Standard public school
1,334 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Vance Charter School
Standard public school
956 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Aycock Elementary
Standard public school
376 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Clarke Elementary
Standard public school
364 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
E M Rollins Elementary
Standard public school
322 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Pinkston Street Elementary
Standard public school
262 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~385 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dabney Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dabney Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Vance 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 Dabney Elementary
How many students attend Dabney Elementary?
Dabney Elementary has 385 students enrolled. It is a public school in Henderson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dabney Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dabney Elementary is 16:1, which is 1% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dabney Elementary?
99.2% of students at Dabney Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dabney Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dabney Elementary is African American at 75.1% of enrollment, in Henderson, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dabney Elementary?
Dabney Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Dabney Elementary rank among schools in Henderson?
By Resource Investment Index, Dabney Elementary ranks #11 of 13 schools in Henderson, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Henderson on the city page.
Is Dabney Elementary a good school?
Dabney Elementary earns 27/100 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 Vance County Schools?
Besides Dabney Elementary, Vance County Schools also operates Vance County High School (1,064 students), Vance County Middle School (755 students), and Aycock Elementary (376 students). See the Vance 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.