Enrollment
435
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hillsborough, NC
Hillsborough Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hillsborough Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370348001932
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillsborough Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 6
- schools in Hillsborough · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.6:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 16.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillsborough 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, Hillsborough Elementary ranks #3 of 6 schools in Hillsborough, NC.
School address
District: Orange County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370348001932 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-76% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillsborough Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillsborough Elementary
Hillsborough Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hillsborough, North Carolina, enrolling 435 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.0% free-meal eligibility runs 76% below the North Carolina average.
With 435 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 99 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #22.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (7%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 435 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Hillsborough's public schools, it stands alongside Eno River Academy (828 students): Hillsborough Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.6:1 vs 13.8:1).
Orange County Schools also operates Orange High (1,161 students) and Cedar Ridge High (1,148 students) alongside Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough Elementary compares
Hillsborough 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 | 16.0% | ▼ 76% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 435 | top 58% | - | - |
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.
435
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 76% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
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
4.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$14,085
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 435 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 77.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Two or More 6.7%
African American 6.4%
Asian 2.5%
Largest group: White at 77.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.5, Hillsborough 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 Orange County Schools, which includes Hillsborough Elementary.
$14,085
Per student
+17%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.0%
State 48.0%
Federal 14.1%
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 Hillsborough Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cedar Ridge High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| A L Stanback Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Efland Cheeks Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Hope Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillsborough Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Hillsborough
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Eno River Academy
Standard public school
828 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
River Park Elementary
Standard public school
523 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Grady Brown Elementary
Standard public school
406 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Pathways Elementary
Standard public school
371 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Central Elementary
Standard public school
261 students 10:1 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 (~435 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillsborough Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hillsborough Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Orange 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 Hillsborough Elementary
How many students attend Hillsborough Elementary?
Hillsborough Elementary has 435 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hillsborough, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillsborough Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough Elementary?
16.0% of students at Hillsborough Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillsborough Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hillsborough Elementary is White at 77.5% of enrollment, in Hillsborough, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillsborough Elementary?
Hillsborough Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Hillsborough Elementary rank among schools in Hillsborough?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillsborough Elementary ranks #3 of 6 schools in Hillsborough, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hillsborough on the city page.
Is Hillsborough Elementary a good school?
Hillsborough Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with 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 Orange County Schools?
Besides Hillsborough Elementary, Orange County Schools also operates Orange High (1,161 students), Cedar Ridge High (1,148 students), and A L Stanback Middle (648 students). See the Orange 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.