Elementary school (grades K-5) · Durham, NC

Kestrel Heights School

Federal NCES profile for Kestrel Heights School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370005502376Charter school
0/100100/10056/100
👥 S:T ratio
42
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
58
📋 Attendance
55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Kestrel Heights School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.

#1 of 15
elementary schools in Durham · Resource Index
56
Resource Index · Higher
14.5:1
students per teacher
50.2%
free-lunch eligible

Kestrel Heights School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Kestrel Heights School ranks #1 of 15 elementary schools in Durham, NC.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+16 students YoY

Kestrel Heights School held near 440 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+16 headcount).

Teacher FTE added 29.5 → 30.1 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+16 students YoY 370005502376 · Durham, NC Elementary · SMALL · CHARTER

421 enr · 14.5:1 · 50.2% lunch · RII 56

Nearest enrollment peer: Selma Street Elementary School (421 students)

Kestrel Heights School held near 440 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+16 headcount). Teacher FTE added 29.5 → 30.1 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Carolina schools → · Find another →

How Kestrel Heights School compares

Kestrel Heights School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs North Carolina and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs North Carolina North Carolina avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 14.5:1 ▼ 8% 15.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 50.2% ▼ 24% 66.0% 51.7%
Enrollment 421 top 60% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
50.2%
free-lunch eligible - 24% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher - 8% below state mean
Top 42% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,698
per pupil, district-wide - below North Carolina avg of $12,294
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 211 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

African American 58.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
Two or More 7.8%
White 6.9%
Asian 6.9%

Largest group: African American at 58.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 60.6/100

Simpson diversity index - at 60.6, Kestrel Heights School is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Kestrel Heights School reports $10,698 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

Similar elementary schools in Durham

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Kestrel Heights School

How many students attend Kestrel Heights School?

Kestrel Heights School has 421 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Durham, NC. CCD year-over-year: 424 (2022-23) → 440 (2023-24), nearly flat (+16).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Kestrel Heights School?

The student-teacher ratio at Kestrel Heights School is 14.5:1, which is 8% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 8% 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 Kestrel Heights School?

50.2% of students at Kestrel Heights School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kestrel Heights School?

The largest demographic group at Kestrel Heights School is African American at 58.0% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.6/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Kestrel Heights School?

Kestrel Heights School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Kestrel Heights School rank among elementary schools in Durham?

By Resource Investment Index, Kestrel Heights School ranks #1 of 15 elementary schools in Durham, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Durham on the city page.

What other schools are in Kestrel Heights School?

None; Kestrel Heights School is a single-school charter district, and Kestrel Heights School is its only campus.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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