Enrollment
295
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370048000179
Glen Alpine Elementary — Morganton, NC
Federal NCES profile for Glen Alpine Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 44/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 12
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 →
School address
District: Burke 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.
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Glen Alpine Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
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
Glen Alpine Elementary reports 295 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 26% 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 24% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 74.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 13% above the North Carolina average and 45% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 295 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 35.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Burke County Schools spends $12,502 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 15.2% from local sources (property taxes), 61.7% from the state, and 23.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Glen Alpine 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 26% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.9% | ▲ 13% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 295 | top 22% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
74.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 13% 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
12.1:1
students per teacher
— 26% below state mean
Top 12% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
35.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,502
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 295 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 295 Top 22% in North Carolina — larger than 78% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 12.1:1 -26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 74.9% +13% vs state
NCES ID 370048000179
Student demographics
White 61.0%
Hispanic or Latino 16.6%
Two or More 10.2%
Asian 6.8%
African American 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 61.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 295:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 35.3%
In-school suspensions 12
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Burke County Schools, which includes Glen Alpine Elementary.
$12,502
Per student
-4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 15.2%
State 61.7%
Federal 23.1%
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
- Enrollment
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
Similar other schools in Morganton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Mountain View Elementary
Standard public school
762 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Drexel Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Salem Elementary
Standard public school
476 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
W a Young Elementary
Standard public school
327 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Oak Hill Elementary
Standard public school
310 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Forest Hill Elementary
Standard public school
305 students 14.9:1 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 Glen Alpine Elementary
How many students attend Glen Alpine Elementary?
Glen Alpine Elementary has 295 students enrolled. It is a other school in Morganton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Glen Alpine Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Glen Alpine Elementary is 12.1:1, which is 26% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 24% 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 Glen Alpine Elementary?
74.9% of students at Glen Alpine Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Glen Alpine Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Glen Alpine Elementary is White at 61.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Morganton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Glen Alpine Elementary?
Glen Alpine Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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.