Enrollment
254
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Morganton, NC
Hillcrest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370048000183
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 12
- schools in Morganton · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.7:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 89.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Elementary has class sizes smaller than 81% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #2 of 12 schools in Morganton, NC.
School address
District: Burke County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370048000183 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+35% 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 Morganton, North Carolina, enrolling 254 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 89.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 254 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 273 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #32.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and White (15%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 254 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 23.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Morganton's public schools, it stands alongside Mountain View Elementary (762 students): Hillcrest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 17.7:1).
Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students) and East Burke High (874 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.4% | ▲ 35% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 254 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
254
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 19% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
24.8%
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
$11,845
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 254 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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 71.7%
White 15.0%
African American 6.7%
Two or More 6.7%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 71.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.4, Hillcrest 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 Burke County Schools, which includes Hillcrest Elementary.
$11,845
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.2%
State 61.7%
Federal 23.1%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Burke High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert L. Patton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jimmy C Draughn High School | 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
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in Morganton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Mountain View Elementary
Standard public school
762 students 17.7:1 students per teacher
Drexel Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Salem Elementary
Standard public school
476 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
W a Young Elementary
Standard public school
327 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Oak Hill Elementary
Standard public school
310 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Forest Hill Elementary
Standard public school
305 students 16.9:1 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 (~254 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Burke 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 Hillcrest Elementary
How many students attend Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has 254 students enrolled. It is a public school in Morganton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary is 12.7:1, which is 20% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 19% 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?
89.4% 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 71.7% of enrollment, in Morganton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Hillcrest Elementary rank among schools in Morganton?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #2 of 12 schools in Morganton, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Morganton on the city page.
Is Hillcrest Elementary a good school?
Hillcrest Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Burke County Schools?
Besides Hillcrest Elementary, Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students), East Burke High (874 students), and Mountain View Elementary (762 students). See the Burke 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.