- Enrollment
- 1,945
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Other / mixed grade configuration · Willard, NC
Penderlea Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Penderlea Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370357001467
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penderlea Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of North Carolina schools.
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.4:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 66.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 468
- students enrolled
Penderlea Elementary has class sizes smaller than 73% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Pender County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370357001467 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-11 students YoY
Penderlea Elementary held near 484 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-11 headcount).
Teacher FTE held 35.0 → 35.0 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
-11 students YoY 370357001467 · Willard, NC Other · SMALL · TRAD
468 enr · 13.4:1 · 66.1% lunch · RII 31
Nearest enrollment peer: Topsail High (1,945 students)
Penderlea Elementary held near 484 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-11 headcount). Teacher FTE held 35.0 → 35.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Carolina schools → · Find another →
Penderlea Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Topsail High
Topsail High
1,945 students
- Surf City Elem
Surf City Elementary
857 students
- Topsail Middle
Topsail Middle
837 students
- Surf City Midd 752
Surf City Middle
752 students
- Heide Trask Hi 732
Heide Trask High
732 students
- This school 468
Penderlea Elementary
468 students
What this shows Penderlea Elementary reports 468 students on the CCD universe file.
How Penderlea Elementary compares
Penderlea Elementary 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 15% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.1% | ▲ 0% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 468 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
468
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
66.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% above 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 27% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.7%
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
$11,425
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 468 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 50.2%
Hispanic or Latino 23.1%
African American 17.7%
Two or More 7.3%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 50.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.8, Penderlea Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
District finance for Pender County Schools reports $11,425 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Penderlea Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsail High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surf City Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Topsail Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surf City Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heide Trask High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penderlea Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 837
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Nationwide other 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.
Similar enrollment (~468 students)
Frequently asked questions about Penderlea Elementary
How many students attend Penderlea Elementary?
Penderlea Elementary has 468 students enrolled. It is a public school in Willard, NC. CCD year-over-year: 495 (2022-23) → 484 (2023-24), nearly flat (-11).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penderlea Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Penderlea Elementary is 13.4:1, which is 15% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% 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 Penderlea Elementary?
66.1% of students at Penderlea Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Penderlea Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Penderlea Elementary is White at 50.2% of enrollment, in Willard, 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 Penderlea Elementary?
Penderlea Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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).
What other schools are in Pender County Schools?
Besides Penderlea Elementary, Pender County Schools also operates Topsail High (1,945 students), Surf City Elementary (857 students), and Topsail Middle (837 students). See the Pender County Schools district page for the complete list.