Enrollment
556
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Burlington, NC
Hillcrest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370003000201
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% of North Carolina schools.
- #6 of 9
- schools in Burlington · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.6:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #6 of 9 schools in Burlington, NC.
School address
District: Alamance-Burlington Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370003000201 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest Elementary
Hillcrest Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Burlington, North Carolina, enrolling 556 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.5% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 556 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 560 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #468, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (40%) and African American (39%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 556 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Burlington's public schools, it stands alongside Clover Garden (963 students): Hillcrest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.6:1 vs 26:1).
Alamance-Burlington Schools also operates Walter M Williams High (1,206 students) and Southern Alamance High (1,148 students) alongside Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest Elementary compares
Hillcrest 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 | 13.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.5% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 556 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
556
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.5%
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
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 30% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
46.8%
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
$12,211
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 556 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 39.6%
African American 38.7%
White 11.7%
Two or More 9.2%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 39.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Hillcrest 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 Alamance-Burlington Schools, which includes Hillcrest Elementary.
$12,211
Per student
+2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.4%
State 58.2%
Federal 23.4%
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 Hillcrest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter M Williams High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern Alamance High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western Alamance High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastern Alamance High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hawfields Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,138
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Burlington
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Clover Garden
Standard public school
963 students 26:1 students per teacher
Marvin B Smith Elementary
Standard public school
556 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Eastlawn Elementary
Standard public school
528 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
R Homer Andrews Elementary
Standard public school
498 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Harvey R Newlin Elementary
Standard public school
491 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Grove Park Elementary
Standard public school
437 students 14.6:1 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 (~556 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alamance-Burlington 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 Hillcrest Elementary
How many students attend Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has 556 students enrolled. It is a public school in Burlington, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary is 13.6:1, which is 14% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% 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 Hillcrest Elementary?
99.5% of students at Hillcrest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 39.6% of enrollment, in Burlington, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (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 Hillcrest Elementary rank among schools in Burlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #6 of 9 schools in Burlington, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Burlington on the city page.
Is Hillcrest Elementary a good school?
Hillcrest Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Alamance-Burlington Schools?
Besides Hillcrest Elementary, Alamance-Burlington Schools also operates Walter M Williams High (1,206 students), Southern Alamance High (1,148 students), and Western Alamance High (1,138 students). See the Alamance-Burlington 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.