- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cary, NC
Penny Road Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Penny Road Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370472002223
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penny Road Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #4 of 4
- elementary schools in Cary · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 33.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Penny Road Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penny Road Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Cary, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472002223 Verify on NCES CCD record →
CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24
-7 students YoY
Penny Road Elementary held near 488 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-7 headcount).
Teacher FTE added 31.0 → 37.5 across the same CCD years.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).
Steady CCD campus
-7 students YoY 370472002223 · Cary, NC Elementary · MID · TRAD
509 enr · 16.4:1 · 33.7% lunch · RII 38
Nearest enrollment peer: Apex Friendship High (2,748 students)
Penny Road Elementary held near 488 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-7 headcount). Teacher FTE added 31.0 → 37.5 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · North Carolina schools → · Find another →
Penny Road Elementary in the enrollment neighbourhood
Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers
- Apex Friendshi
Apex Friendship High
2,748 students
- Enloe High
Enloe High
2,643 students
- Panther Creek
Panther Creek High
2,609 students
- Millbrook High
Millbrook High
2,498 students
- Apex High
Apex High
2,449 students
- This school 509
Penny Road Elementary
509 students
What this shows Penny Road Elementary reports 509 students on the CCD universe file.
How Penny Road Elementary compares
Penny Road 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.7% | ▼ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 509 | top 48% | - | - |
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.
509
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators methodology
Economic need
33.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
16.4:1
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
20.8%
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
$11,691
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 509 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Student demographics
White 56.2%
Hispanic or Latino 21.0%
African American 14.3%
Asian 4.1%
Two or More 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.6, Penny Road Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
District finance for Wake County Schools reports $11,691 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.
How Penny Road Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Penny Road Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary schools in Cary
3 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.
Similar enrollment (~509 students)
Frequently asked questions about Penny Road Elementary
How many students attend Penny Road Elementary?
Penny Road Elementary has 509 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cary, NC. CCD year-over-year: 495 (2022-23) → 488 (2023-24), nearly flat (-7).
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penny Road Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Penny Road 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 Penny Road Elementary?
33.7% of students at Penny Road Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Penny Road Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Penny Road Elementary is White at 56.2% of enrollment, in Cary, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penny Road Elementary?
Penny Road Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Penny Road Elementary rank among elementary schools in Cary?
By Resource Investment Index, Penny Road Elementary ranks #4 of 4 elementary schools in Cary, 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 Cary on the city page.
What other schools are in Wake County Schools?
Besides Penny Road Elementary, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake County Schools district page for the complete list.