Enrollment
95
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sanford, NC
Floyd L Knight Children Center
Federal NCES profile for Floyd L Knight Children Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370256001077
👥 S:T ratio 71
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Floyd L Knight Children Center earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #4 of 5
- schools in Sanford · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 7.3:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 81.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Floyd L Knight Children Center has class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Floyd L Knight Children Center ranks #4 of 5 schools in Sanford, NC.
School address
District: Lee County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370256001077 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-54% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Floyd L Knight Children Center compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Floyd L Knight Children Center
Floyd L Knight Children Center is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Sanford, North Carolina, enrolling 95 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.3:1, Floyd L Knight Children Center is leaner than roughly 97% of North Carolina schools and 54% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 81.9% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of North Carolina schools, with 95 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 44 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #40, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (39%) (diversity index 68/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.0% 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 Sanford's public schools, it stands alongside Benhaven Elementary (1,065 students): Floyd L Knight Children Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (7.3:1 vs 15:1).
Lee County Schools also operates Lee County High (1,459 students) and Southern Lee High School (1,180 students) alongside Floyd L Knight Children Center.
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 Floyd L Knight Children Center compares
Floyd L Knight Children Center 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 | 7.3:1 | ▼ 54% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.9% | ▲ 24% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 95 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.3:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
95
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
7.3:1
students per teacher
- 54% below state mean
Top 3% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.0%
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
$12,250
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 38.9%
Hispanic or Latino 38.9%
African American 12.6%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.8, Floyd L Knight Children Center is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lee County Schools, which includes Floyd L Knight Children Center.
$12,250
Per student
+2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.8%
State 59.9%
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 Floyd L Knight Children Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern Lee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sanlee Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wb Wicker Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J Glenn Edwards Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Floyd L Knight Children Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,459
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Sanford
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Benhaven Elementary
Standard public school
1,065 students 15:1 students per teacher
Ascend Leadership Academy: Lee County
Standard public school
628 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Central Carolina Academy
Standard public school
536 students 31.5:1 students per teacher
Bragg Street Academy
Alternative education program
40 students 4:1 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 (~95 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Floyd L Knight Children Center's federal record.
- Compare Floyd L Knight Children Center against another school. Compare schools
- Lee 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 Floyd L Knight Children Center
How many students attend Floyd L Knight Children Center?
Floyd L Knight Children Center has 95 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Sanford, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Floyd L Knight Children Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Floyd L Knight Children Center is 7.3:1, which is 54% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 54% 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 Floyd L Knight Children Center?
81.9% of students at Floyd L Knight Children Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Floyd L Knight Children Center?
The largest demographic group at Floyd L Knight Children Center is Hispanic or Latino at 38.9% of enrollment, in Sanford, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Floyd L Knight Children Center?
Floyd L Knight Children Center has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Floyd L Knight Children Center rank among schools in Sanford?
By Resource Investment Index, Floyd L Knight Children Center ranks #4 of 5 schools in Sanford, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sanford on the city page.
Is Floyd L Knight Children Center a good school?
Floyd L Knight Children Center earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. 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 Lee County Schools?
Besides Floyd L Knight Children Center, Lee County Schools also operates Lee County High (1,459 students), Southern Lee High School (1,180 students), and Sanlee Middle School (792 students). See the Lee 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.