Enrollment
280
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hayesville, NC
Hayesville Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hayesville Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370087000332
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hayesville Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Hayesville · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 60.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Hayesville Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hayesville Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Hayesville, NC.
School address
District: Clay County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370087000332 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hayesville Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hayesville Elementary
Hayesville Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Hayesville, North Carolina, enrolling 280 students.
At 14.7:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.4% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 280 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 233 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #55.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 280 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Clay County Schools spends $14,506 per pupil, 21% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Clay County Schools also operates Hayesville Primary School (375 students) and Hayesville High (366 students) alongside Hayesville 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 Hayesville Elementary compares
Hayesville 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 7% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.4% | ▼ 8% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 280 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
280
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% below 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 45% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.4%
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
$14,506
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 280 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.6 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 86.4%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Two or More 4.6%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 86.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.4, Hayesville 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 Clay County Schools, which includes Hayesville Elementary.
$14,506
Per student
+21%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 12.5%
State 65.8%
Federal 21.7%
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 Hayesville Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hayesville Primary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hayesville High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hayesville Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hayesville Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 301
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary 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 (~280 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hayesville Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hayesville Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Clay 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 Hayesville Elementary
How many students attend Hayesville Elementary?
Hayesville Elementary has 280 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hayesville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hayesville Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hayesville Elementary is 14.7:1, which is 7% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% 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 Hayesville Elementary?
60.4% of students at Hayesville Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hayesville Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hayesville Elementary is White at 86.4% of enrollment, in Hayesville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hayesville Elementary?
Hayesville Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Hayesville Elementary rank among public schools in Hayesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Hayesville Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Hayesville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Hayesville on the city page.
Is Hayesville Elementary a good school?
Hayesville Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Clay County Schools?
Besides Hayesville Elementary, Clay County Schools also operates Hayesville Primary School (375 students), Hayesville High (366 students), and Hayesville Middle (301 students). See the Clay 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.