- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Timberlake, NC
Helena Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Helena Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370363001479
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helena Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 99.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 512
- students enrolled
Helena Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Person County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370363001479 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-1 students YoY
Helena Elementary held near 522 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-1 headcount).
Teacher FTE added 33.8 → 34.6 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
-1 students YoY 370363001479 · Timberlake, NC Elementary · MID · TRAD
512 enr · 15.5:1 · 99.4% lunch · RII 36
Nearest enrollment peer: Person High (1,165 students)
Helena Elementary held near 522 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-1 headcount). Teacher FTE added 33.8 → 34.6 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Carolina schools → · Find another →
Helena Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Person High
Person High
1,165 students
- This school
Helena Elementary
512 students
- South Elementa 463
South Elementary
463 students
- Southern Middl 456
Southern Middle
456 students
- Northern Middl 454
Northern Middle
454 students
- Stories Creek 397
Stories Creek Elementary
397 students
What this shows Helena Elementary reports 512 students on the CCD universe file.
How Helena Elementary compares
Helena Elementary held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs North Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 512 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
512
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 56% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$13,682
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,294
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 512 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 66.2%
African American 14.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.3%
Two or More 6.3%
Largest group: White at 66.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.0, Helena Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
District finance for Person County Schools reports $13,682 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Helena Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northern Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stories Creek Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helena Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing
Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.
Similar enrollment (~512 students)
Frequently asked questions about Helena Elementary
How many students attend Helena Elementary?
Helena Elementary has 512 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Timberlake, NC. CCD year-over-year: 523 (2022-23) → 522 (2023-24), nearly flat (-1).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helena Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Helena Elementary is 15.5:1, which is 2% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% 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 Helena Elementary?
99.4% of students at Helena Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helena Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Helena Elementary is White at 66.2% of enrollment, in Timberlake, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helena Elementary?
Helena Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
What other schools are in Person County Schools?
Besides Helena Elementary, Person County Schools also operates Person High (1,165 students), South Elementary (463 students), and Southern Middle (456 students). See the Person County Schools district page for the complete list.