Enrollment
565
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Richlands, NC
Heritage Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Heritage Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370345002599
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Heritage Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Richlands · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 46.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Heritage Elementary School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Richlands, NC.
School address
District: Onslow County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370345002599 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Heritage Elementary School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Heritage Elementary School
Heritage Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Richlands, North Carolina, enrolling 565 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 565 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 470 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #437, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 565 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Richlands's elementary schools, it stands alongside Richlands Elementary (591 students): Heritage Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 14.4:1).
Onslow County Schools also operates Jacksonville High (1,441 students) and White Oak High (1,252 students) alongside Heritage Elementary School.
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 Heritage Elementary School compares
Heritage Elementary School 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.4% | ▼ 30% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 565 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
565
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 69% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.9%
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
$10,680
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 565 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 65.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.2%
African American 8.3%
Two or More 7.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.1, Heritage Elementary School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Onslow County Schools, which includes Heritage Elementary School.
$10,680
Per student
-11%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 57.2%
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 Heritage Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Oak High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Swansboro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixon High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northside High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Heritage Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,441
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,252
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,232
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,085
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Richlands
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~565 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Heritage Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Heritage Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Onslow 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 Heritage Elementary School
How many students attend Heritage Elementary School?
Heritage Elementary School has 565 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Richlands, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Heritage Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Heritage Elementary School is 16.6:1, which is 5% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Heritage Elementary School?
46.4% of students at Heritage Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Heritage Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Heritage Elementary School is White at 65.0% of enrollment, in Richlands, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Heritage Elementary School?
Heritage Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Heritage Elementary School rank among public schools in Richlands?
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Richlands, 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 Richlands on the city page.
Is Heritage Elementary School a good school?
Heritage Elementary School earns 28/100 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 Onslow County Schools?
Besides Heritage Elementary School, Onslow County Schools also operates Jacksonville High (1,441 students), White Oak High (1,252 students), and Swansboro High (1,232 students). See the Onslow 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.