Enrollment
854
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Boone, NC
Hardin Park Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hardin Park Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370483001938
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hardin Park Elementary earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Boone · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.9:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 33.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Hardin Park Elementary has class sizes smaller than 92% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hardin Park Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Boone, NC.
School address
District: Watauga County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370483001938 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hardin Park Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hardin Park Elementary
Hardin Park Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Boone, North Carolina, enrolling 854 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.9:1, Hardin Park Elementary is leaner than roughly 92% of North Carolina schools and 31% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 33.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 854 puts it in the larger 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 336 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 285 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
15.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Boone's public schools, it stands alongside Parkway Elementary (610 students): Hardin Park Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.9:1 vs 13.3:1).
Watauga County Schools also operates Watauga High (1,289 students) and Parkway Elementary (610 students) alongside Hardin Park 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 Hardin Park Elementary compares
Hardin Park 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 | 10.9:1 | ▼ 31% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.8% | ▼ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 854 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.9:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
854
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.9:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 8% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,698
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 285 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 70.1%
Hispanic or Latino 16.7%
Asian 5.9%
Two or More 4.3%
African American 2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 70.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.5, Hardin Park Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watauga County Schools, which includes Hardin Park Elementary.
$12,698
Per student
+6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.9%
State 56.5%
Federal 15.6%
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 Hardin Park Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkway Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blowing Rock Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valle Crucis Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Green Valley Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hardin Park Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,289
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Boone
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~854 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hardin Park Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hardin Park Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Watauga 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 Hardin Park Elementary
How many students attend Hardin Park Elementary?
Hardin Park Elementary has 854 students enrolled. It is a public school in Boone, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hardin Park Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hardin Park Elementary is 10.9:1, which is 31% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 31% 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 Hardin Park Elementary?
33.8% of students at Hardin Park Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hardin Park Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hardin Park Elementary is White at 70.1% of enrollment, in Boone, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hardin Park Elementary?
Hardin Park 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 Hardin Park Elementary rank among schools in Boone?
By Resource Investment Index, Hardin Park Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Boone, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Boone on the city page.
Is Hardin Park Elementary a good school?
Hardin Park Elementary earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% 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 Watauga County Schools?
Besides Hardin Park Elementary, Watauga County Schools also operates Watauga High (1,289 students), Parkway Elementary (610 students), and Blowing Rock Elementary (409 students). See the Watauga 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.