Enrollment
350
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dobson, NC
Dobson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Dobson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370441001747
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dobson Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Dobson · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 57.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Dobson Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dobson Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Dobson, NC.
School address
District: Surry County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370441001747 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dobson Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dobson Elementary
Dobson Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dobson, North Carolina, enrolling 350 students.
At 14.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.6% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 350 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 349 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #131.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (43%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 350 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Dobson's public schools, it stands alongside Rockford Elementary (335 students): Dobson Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.6:1 vs 12.9:1).
Surry County Schools also operates North Surry High (792 students) and Surry Central High (679 students) alongside Dobson 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 Dobson Elementary compares
Dobson 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.6% | ▼ 13% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 350 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
350
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.4%
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
$12,638
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 350 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 52.0%
Hispanic or Latino 43.1%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 52.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.2, Dobson Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Surry County Schools, which includes Dobson Elementary.
$12,638
Per student
+5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.6%
State 60.1%
Federal 24.3%
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 Dobson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Surry High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surry Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Surry High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dobson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Dobson
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 (~350 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dobson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Dobson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Surry 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 Dobson Elementary
How many students attend Dobson Elementary?
Dobson Elementary has 350 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dobson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dobson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Dobson Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 8% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 7% 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 Dobson Elementary?
57.6% of students at Dobson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dobson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Dobson Elementary is White at 52.0% of enrollment, in Dobson, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dobson Elementary?
Dobson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Dobson Elementary rank among schools in Dobson?
By Resource Investment Index, Dobson Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Dobson, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Dobson on the city page.
Is Dobson Elementary a good school?
Dobson Elementary earns 45/100 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 Surry County Schools?
Besides Dobson Elementary, Surry County Schools also operates North Surry High (792 students), Surry Central High (679 students), and East Surry High (576 students). See the Surry 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.