2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370225002997

Don D Steed Elementary — Raeford, NC

Federal NCES profile for Don D Steed Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 43/100.

Compare schools View district
0/100100/10043/100
👥 Class size
48
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
0
📋 Attendance
53
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 →

The verdict

Don D Steed Elementary earns a D Resource Investment Index (43/100), even as it posts class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina schools.

D
Resource Index · 43/100
13:1
small classes for North Carolina
99.6%
free-lunch eligible
628
students enrolled

School address

Raeford, NC 28376
District: Hoke 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.

Enrollment

628

North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

52.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

13:1

vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg

-21% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

99.6%

vs 66.0% North Carolina avg

+51% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Don D Steed Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median
0:135:113:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

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

Don D Steed Elementary reports 628 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 52.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 99.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 51% above the North Carolina average and 92% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 628 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 18.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Hoke County Schools spends $12,029 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 9.6% from local sources (property taxes), 65.9% from the state, and 24.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 Don D Steed Elementary 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 13:1 ▼ 21% 16.4:1 15.9:1
Free-lunch eligible 99.6% ▲ 51% 66.0% 51.8%
Enrollment 628 top 68% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

13 Among the smallest classes smaller classes than 69% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). This entry sits in this band. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Above this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Above this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

628 larger than 75% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). Below this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). This entry sits in this band. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
99.6%
free-lunch eligible — 51% 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
13:1
students per teacher — 21% below state mean
Top 21% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
18.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$12,029
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.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 628 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Overview

Enrollment 628 Top 68% in North Carolina — larger than 32% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 52.0
Students per teacher 13:1 -21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 99.6% +51% vs state
NCES ID 370225002997

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 32.0%
White 27.5%
African American 27.5%
Two or More 10.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Asian 0.2%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 32.0% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 628:1

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 18.9%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 36

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hoke County Schools, which includes Don D Steed Elementary.

$12,029
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 9.6%
State 65.9%
Federal 24.5%

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

Hoke County Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Raeford

5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.

Upchurch Elementary
Standard public school
646 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Scurlock Elementary
Standard public school
611 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Rockfish Hoke Elementary
Standard public school
606 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
West Hoke Elementary
Standard public school
467 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
J W Turlington School
Alternative education program
26 students 11.4:1 students per teacher

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 Don D Steed Elementary

How many students attend Don D Steed Elementary?

Don D Steed Elementary has 628 students enrolled. It is a other school in Raeford, NC.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Don D Steed Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Don D Steed Elementary is 13:1, which is 21% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Don D Steed Elementary?

99.6% of students at Don D Steed Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Don D Steed Elementary?

The largest demographic group at Don D Steed Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 32.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Raeford, NC.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Don D Steed Elementary?

Don D Steed Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

Related tools

Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in North Carolina
All public schools in North Carolina
Hoke County Schools
All schools in this district
Rankings
Best schools by state & type

Explore PlainSchools

Compare schools

Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in North Carolina

All schools in this state
Schools in Raeford

All schools in this city
School districts

Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings

Best schools by state & type

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov