Enrollment
645
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fuquay-Varina, NC
Lafayette Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lafayette Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370201000886
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lafayette Elementary earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #8 of 9
- public schools in Fuquay-Varina · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 36.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Lafayette Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lafayette Elementary ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Fuquay-Varina, NC.
School address
District: Harnett County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370201000886 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lafayette Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lafayette Elementary
Lafayette Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, enrolling 645 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 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 36.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 645 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 404 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #393, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 645 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fuquay-Varina's elementary schools, it stands alongside Achievement Charter Academy (211 students): Lafayette Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.5:1 vs 21.1:1).
Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students) and Harnett Central High (1,522 students) alongside Lafayette 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 Lafayette Elementary compares
Lafayette 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.2% | ▼ 45% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 645 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
645
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 68% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.4%
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
$11,026
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 645 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.0 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 61.7%
Hispanic or Latino 18.8%
African American 10.4%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 61.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.9, Lafayette Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harnett County Schools, which includes Lafayette Elementary.
$11,026
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.4%
State 62.0%
Federal 24.6%
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 Lafayette Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harnett Central High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western Harnett High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Triton High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Benhaven Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lafayette Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,981
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,522
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,274
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Fuquay-Varina
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~645 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lafayette Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lafayette Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Harnett 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 Lafayette Elementary
How many students attend Lafayette Elementary?
Lafayette Elementary has 645 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fuquay-Varina, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lafayette Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lafayette Elementary is 16.5:1, which is 4% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lafayette Elementary?
36.2% of students at Lafayette Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lafayette Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lafayette Elementary is White at 61.7% of enrollment, in Fuquay-Varina, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lafayette Elementary?
Lafayette Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (lower 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 Lafayette Elementary rank among public schools in Fuquay-Varina?
By Resource Investment Index, Lafayette Elementary ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Fuquay-Varina, 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 Fuquay-Varina on the city page.
Is Lafayette Elementary a good school?
Lafayette Elementary earns 26/100 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 Harnett County Schools?
Besides Lafayette Elementary, Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students), Harnett Central High (1,522 students), and Western Harnett High (1,324 students). See the Harnett 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.