Enrollment
428
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hope Mills, NC
Gray's Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Gray's Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370001103082
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 79
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gray's Creek Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 5
- schools in Hope Mills · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 98.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Gray's Creek Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gray's Creek Elementary ranks #1 of 5 schools in Hope Mills, NC.
School address
District: Cumberland County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370001103082 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gray's Creek Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gray's Creek Elementary
Gray's Creek Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hope Mills, North Carolina, enrolling 428 students.
At 15.3:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 428 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 524 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #8, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 107 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hope Mills's public schools, it stands alongside Gallberry Farm Elementary (883 students): Gray's Creek Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.3:1 vs 14.7:1).
Cumberland County Schools also operates Jack Britt High (1,940 students) and Pine Forest High (1,551 students) alongside Gray's Creek 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 Gray's Creek Elementary compares
Gray's Creek 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 | 15.3:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.3% | ▲ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 428 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
428
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 53% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.3%
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
$12,412
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 107 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 47.4%
African American 21.0%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
Two or More 10.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.7%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 47.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.4, Gray's Creek 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 Cumberland County Schools, which includes Gray's Creek Elementary.
$12,412
Per student
+3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.5%
State 57.7%
Federal 25.7%
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 Gray's Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Britt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pine Forest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cape Fear High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South View High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gray's Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gray's Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,940
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,551
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,515
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,461
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,458
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Hope Mills
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Gallberry Farm Elementary
Standard public school
883 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Rockfish Elementary
Standard public school
682 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Ed V Baldwin Elementary
Standard public school
634 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
C Wayne Collier Elementary
Standard public school
532 students 19:1 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 (~428 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gray's Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Gray's Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cumberland 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 Gray's Creek Elementary
How many students attend Gray's Creek Elementary?
Gray's Creek Elementary has 428 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hope Mills, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gray's Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Gray's Creek Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 3% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 3% 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 Gray's Creek Elementary?
98.3% of students at Gray's Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gray's Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Gray's Creek Elementary is White at 47.4% of enrollment, in Hope Mills, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gray's Creek Elementary?
Gray's Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Gray's Creek Elementary rank among schools in Hope Mills?
By Resource Investment Index, Gray's Creek Elementary ranks #1 of 5 schools in Hope Mills, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hope Mills on the city page.
Is Gray's Creek Elementary a good school?
Gray's Creek Elementary earns 54/100 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 Cumberland County Schools?
Besides Gray's Creek Elementary, Cumberland County Schools also operates Jack Britt High (1,940 students), Pine Forest High (1,551 students), and Cape Fear High (1,515 students). See the Cumberland 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.