Enrollment
336
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chapel Hill, NC
Estes Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Estes Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370072000298
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Estes Hills Elementary earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 12
- schools in Chapel Hill · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.2:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 29.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Estes Hills Elementary has class sizes smaller than 91% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Estes Hills Elementary ranks #2 of 12 schools in Chapel Hill, NC.
School address
District: Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370072000298 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Estes Hills Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Estes Hills Elementary
Estes Hills Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, enrolling 336 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.2:1, Estes Hills Elementary is leaner than roughly 91% of North Carolina schools and 29% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 29.4% free-meal eligibility runs 55% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 336 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 138 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #10, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
10.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools spends $16,534 per pupil, 38% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Chapel Hill's public schools, it stands alongside North Chatham Elementary (588 students): Estes Hills Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.2:1 vs 15.1:1).
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools also operates Chapel Hill High (1,608 students) and East Chapel Hill High (1,419 students) alongside Estes Hills 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 Estes Hills Elementary compares
Estes Hills 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 | 11.2:1 | ▼ 29% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.4% | ▼ 55% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 336 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
336
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 9% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
10.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,534
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 336 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 56.8%
Two or More 12.5%
African American 11.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
Asian 7.4%
Largest group: White at 56.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.9, Estes Hills Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, which includes Estes Hills Elementary.
$16,534
Per student
+38%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.2%
State 43.3%
Federal 10.5%
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.
How Estes Hills Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapel Hill High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Chapel Hill High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carrboro High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smith Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcdougle Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Estes Hills Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,608
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,419
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 885
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 763
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in Chapel Hill
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
North Chatham Elementary
Standard public school
588 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Fpg Elementary
Standard public school
536 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
New Hope Elementary
Standard public school
528 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Woods Charter
Standard public school
515 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Mcdougle Elementary
Standard public school
497 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Rashkis Elementary
Standard public school
455 students 12.3:1 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 (~336 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Estes Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Estes Hills Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chapel Hill-Carrboro City 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 Estes Hills Elementary
How many students attend Estes Hills Elementary?
Estes Hills Elementary has 336 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chapel Hill, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Estes Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Estes Hills Elementary is 11.2:1, which is 29% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 29% 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 Estes Hills Elementary?
29.4% of students at Estes Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Estes Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Estes Hills Elementary is White at 56.8% of enrollment, in Chapel Hill, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Estes Hills Elementary?
Estes Hills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (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).
How does Estes Hills Elementary rank among schools in Chapel Hill?
By Resource Investment Index, Estes Hills Elementary ranks #2 of 12 schools in Chapel Hill, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Chapel Hill on the city page.
Is Estes Hills Elementary a good school?
Estes Hills Elementary earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools?
Besides Estes Hills Elementary, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools also operates Chapel Hill High (1,608 students), East Chapel Hill High (1,419 students), and Carrboro High (885 students). See the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district page for the complete list.
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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.