Enrollment
556
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Burlington, NC
Marvin B Smith Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Marvin B Smith Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370003000203
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Marvin B Smith Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 9
- schools in Burlington · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 49.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Marvin B Smith Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Marvin B Smith Elementary ranks #3 of 9 schools in Burlington, NC.
School address
District: Alamance-Burlington Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370003000203 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Marvin B Smith Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Marvin B Smith Elementary
Marvin B Smith Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Burlington, North Carolina, enrolling 556 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 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 49.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 556 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.
Among 486 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #348, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 556 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Burlington's public schools, it stands alongside Clover Garden (963 students): Marvin B Smith Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.4:1 vs 26:1).
Alamance-Burlington Schools also operates Walter M Williams High (1,206 students) and Southern Alamance High (1,148 students) alongside Marvin B Smith 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 Marvin B Smith Elementary compares
Marvin B Smith 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.9% | ▼ 24% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 556 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
556
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.9%
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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 67% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$12,211
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 556 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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 39.0%
Hispanic or Latino 25.4%
African American 22.8%
Two or More 10.3%
Asian 2.5%
Largest group: White at 39.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.0, Marvin B Smith Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alamance-Burlington Schools, which includes Marvin B Smith Elementary.
$12,211
Per student
+2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.4%
State 58.2%
Federal 23.4%
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 Marvin B Smith Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter M Williams High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern Alamance High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Western Alamance High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastern Alamance High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hawfields Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Marvin B Smith Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,206
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,138
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Burlington
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Clover Garden
Standard public school
963 students 26:1 students per teacher
Hillcrest Elementary
Standard public school
556 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Eastlawn Elementary
Standard public school
528 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
R Homer Andrews Elementary
Standard public school
498 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Harvey R Newlin Elementary
Standard public school
491 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Grove Park Elementary
Standard public school
437 students 14.6:1 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 (~556 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Marvin B Smith Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Marvin B Smith Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Alamance-Burlington 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 Marvin B Smith Elementary
How many students attend Marvin B Smith Elementary?
Marvin B Smith Elementary has 556 students enrolled. It is a public school in Burlington, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Marvin B Smith Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Marvin B Smith Elementary is 16.4:1, which is 4% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Marvin B Smith Elementary?
49.9% of students at Marvin B Smith Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Marvin B Smith Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Marvin B Smith Elementary is White at 39.0% of enrollment, in Burlington, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Marvin B Smith Elementary?
Marvin B Smith Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Marvin B Smith Elementary rank among schools in Burlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Marvin B Smith Elementary ranks #3 of 9 schools in Burlington, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Burlington on the city page.
Is Marvin B Smith Elementary a good school?
Marvin B Smith Elementary earns 35/100 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 Alamance-Burlington Schools?
Besides Marvin B Smith Elementary, Alamance-Burlington Schools also operates Walter M Williams High (1,206 students), Southern Alamance High (1,148 students), and Western Alamance High (1,138 students). See the Alamance-Burlington 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.