Enrollment
421
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
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
👥 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.
School address
District: Kestrel Heights School · North Carolina
NCES ID 370005502376 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kestrel Heights School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kestrel Heights School
Kestrel Heights School is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 421 students.
At 14.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 421 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 406 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 211 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Durham's elementary schools, it stands alongside Research Triangle Charter (710 students): Kestrel Heights School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 21.5:1).
Kestrel Heights School is a single-school charter district, so Kestrel Heights School operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Kestrel Heights School compares
Kestrel Heights 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 | 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 (what these measure)
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
$12,439
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
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.
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
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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kestrel Heights School, which includes Kestrel Heights School.
$12,439
Per student
+4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.8%
State 56.2%
Federal 11.0%
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.
Similar elementary schools in Durham
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Research Triangle Charter
Standard public school
710 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Forest View Elementary
Standard public school
662 students 13:1 students per teacher
Maureen Joy Charter School
Standard public school
631 students
Central Park School for Child
Standard public school
585 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Creekside Elementary
Standard public school
554 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Hope Valley Elementary
Standard public school
539 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~421 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kestrel Heights School's federal record.
- Compare Kestrel Heights School against another school. Compare schools
- Kestrel Heights School'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 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.
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, counselor availability, attendance rates. 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.
Is Kestrel Heights School a good school?
Kestrel Heights School earns 56/100 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 Kestrel Heights School?
None; Kestrel Heights School is a single-school charter district, and Kestrel Heights School is its only campus.
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.