Enrollment
533
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mount Holly, NC
Ida Rankin Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ida Rankin Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370162000706
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ida Rankin Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Mount Holly · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 53.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Ida Rankin Elementary School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ida Rankin Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Mount Holly, NC.
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370162000706 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ida Rankin Elementary School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ida Rankin Elementary School
Ida Rankin Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Mount Holly, North Carolina, enrolling 533 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 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 53.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 533 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 492 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #332.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 533 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mount Holly's public schools, it stands alongside Pinewood Elementary (508 students): Ida Rankin Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 18.1:1).
Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students) and Hunter Huss High (1,165 students) alongside Ida Rankin 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 Ida Rankin Elementary School compares
Ida Rankin 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.3% | ▼ 19% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 533 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
533
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 65% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.6%
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
$11,409
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 533 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.4 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
White 49.9%
African American 24.0%
Hispanic or Latino 17.1%
Two or More 7.9%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 49.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.8, Ida Rankin Elementary School is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gaston County Schools, which includes Ida Rankin Elementary School.
$11,409
Per student
-5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.3%
State 64.3%
Federal 19.4%
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 Ida Rankin Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrook High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hunter Huss High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Gaston High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Point High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ida Rankin Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,386
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,061
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar other schools in Mount Holly
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~533 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ida Rankin Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ida Rankin Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Gaston 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 Ida Rankin Elementary School
How many students attend Ida Rankin Elementary School?
Ida Rankin Elementary School has 533 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mount Holly, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ida Rankin Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ida Rankin Elementary School is 16.2:1, which is 3% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ida Rankin Elementary School?
53.3% of students at Ida Rankin Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ida Rankin Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ida Rankin Elementary School is White at 49.9% of enrollment, in Mount Holly, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ida Rankin Elementary School?
Ida Rankin Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Ida Rankin Elementary School rank among public schools in Mount Holly?
By Resource Investment Index, Ida Rankin Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Mount Holly, 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 Mount Holly on the city page.
Is Ida Rankin Elementary School a good school?
Ida Rankin Elementary School earns 36/100 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 Gaston County Schools?
Besides Ida Rankin Elementary School, Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students), Hunter Huss High (1,165 students), and Forestview High (1,133 students). See the Gaston 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.