Enrollment
452
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lumberton, NC
Piney Grove Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Piney Grove Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370393001581
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Piney Grove Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of North Carolina schools.
- #5 of 8
- schools in Lumberton · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Piney Grove Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Piney Grove Elementary ranks #5 of 8 schools in Lumberton, NC.
School address
District: Public Schools of Robeson County · North Carolina
NCES ID 370393001581 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Piney Grove Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Piney Grove Elementary
Piney Grove Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lumberton, North Carolina, enrolling 452 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.4% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 452 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 540 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #475, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 452 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lumberton's public schools, it stands alongside Magnolia Elementary (779 students): Piney Grove Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.7:1 vs 15.9:1).
Public Schools of Robeson County also operates Lumberton Senior High (1,894 students) and Purnell Swett High (1,583 students) alongside Piney Grove 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 Piney Grove Elementary compares
Piney Grove 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 | 16.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 452 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
452
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 70% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
47.3%
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
$12,594
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 452 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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
American Indian / Alaska Native 44.0%
Hispanic or Latino 27.2%
Two or More 12.4%
African American 9.1%
White 7.1%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 44.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.4, Piney Grove 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 Public Schools of Robeson County, which includes Piney Grove Elementary.
$12,594
Per student
+5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.8%
State 60.4%
Federal 27.8%
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 Piney Grove Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumberton Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Purnell Swett High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Saint Pauls High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Red Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairmont High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Piney Grove Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,894
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,583
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,142
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Lumberton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Magnolia Elementary
Standard public school
779 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
East Robeson Primary
Standard public school
556 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Rowland Norment Elementary
Standard public school
495 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Long Branch Elementary
Standard public school
428 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
W H Knuckles
Standard public school
382 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Deep Branch Elementary
Standard public school
374 students 17:1 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 (~452 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Piney Grove Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Piney Grove Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Public Schools of Robeson County'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 Piney Grove Elementary
How many students attend Piney Grove Elementary?
Piney Grove Elementary has 452 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lumberton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Piney Grove Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Piney Grove Elementary is 16.7:1, which is 6% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Piney Grove Elementary?
99.4% of students at Piney Grove Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Piney Grove Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Piney Grove Elementary is American Indian / Alaska Native at 44.0% of enrollment, in Lumberton, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Piney Grove Elementary?
Piney Grove Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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 Piney Grove Elementary rank among schools in Lumberton?
By Resource Investment Index, Piney Grove Elementary ranks #5 of 8 schools in Lumberton, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lumberton on the city page.
Is Piney Grove Elementary a good school?
Piney Grove Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of North Carolina schools. 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 Public Schools of Robeson County?
Besides Piney Grove Elementary, Public Schools of Robeson County also operates Lumberton Senior High (1,894 students), Purnell Swett High (1,583 students), and Saint Pauls High (1,142 students). See the Public Schools of Robeson County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in North Carolina
All public schools in North Carolina
Public Schools of Robeson County
All schools in this district
Schools in Lumberton
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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.