Enrollment
887
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gastonia, NC
Pleasant Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pleasant Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370162000705
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pleasant Ridge Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #6 of 15
- schools in Gastonia · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 99.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pleasant Ridge Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pleasant Ridge Elementary ranks #6 of 15 schools in Gastonia, NC.
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370162000705 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pleasant Ridge Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pleasant Ridge Elementary
Pleasant Ridge Elementary is a high-poverty, large combined-grade school in Gastonia, North Carolina, enrolling 887 students.
At 15.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 99.7% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 887 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 280 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #58.
Its student body is led by African American (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 332 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 215 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 887 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Gastonia's public schools, it stands alongside Piedmont Community Charter School (1,963 students): Pleasant Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 16.9:1).
Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students) and Hunter Huss High (1,165 students) alongside Pleasant Ridge 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 Pleasant Ridge Elementary compares
Pleasant Ridge 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 | 15.8:1 | ▼ 0% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.7% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 887 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
887
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.7%
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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 60% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.3%
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
$11,409
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
Counselors2.7 FTE
Per 332 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
105
in-school suspensions + 110 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.2 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
African American 43.7%
Hispanic or Latino 31.8%
White 16.9%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 43.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.5, Pleasant Ridge 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 Gaston County Schools, which includes Pleasant Ridge Elementary.
$11,409
Per student
-5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.3%
State 64.3%
Federal 19.4%
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 Pleasant Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrook High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hunter Huss High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Gaston High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Point High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pleasant Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,386
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,061
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar other schools in Gastonia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Piedmont Community Charter School
Standard public school
1,963 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
W a Bess Elementary School
Standard public school
674 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
H H Beam Elementary
Standard public school
591 students 21.9:1 students per teacher
Woodhill Elementary
Standard public school
577 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Gardner Park Elementary
Standard public school
560 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Sherwood Elementary
Standard public school
553 students 19.1:1 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 (~887 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pleasant Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pleasant Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Gaston 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 Pleasant Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Pleasant Ridge Elementary?
Pleasant Ridge Elementary has 887 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gastonia, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pleasant Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pleasant Ridge Elementary is 15.8:1, which is 0% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pleasant Ridge Elementary?
99.7% of students at Pleasant Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pleasant Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Pleasant Ridge Elementary is African American at 43.7% of enrollment, in Gastonia, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pleasant Ridge Elementary?
Pleasant Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Pleasant Ridge Elementary rank among schools in Gastonia?
By Resource Investment Index, Pleasant Ridge Elementary ranks #6 of 15 schools in Gastonia, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gastonia on the city page.
Is Pleasant Ridge Elementary a good school?
Pleasant Ridge Elementary earns 41/100 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 Gaston County Schools?
Besides Pleasant Ridge Elementary, Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students), Hunter Huss High (1,165 students), and Forestview High (1,133 students). See the Gaston 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.