Enrollment
1,010
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Garner, NC
Polenta Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Polenta Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370237002588
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Polenta Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #7 of 9
- schools in Garner · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 40.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Polenta Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Polenta Elementary ranks #7 of 9 schools in Garner, NC.
School address
District: Johnston County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370237002588 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
69.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Polenta Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Polenta Elementary
Polenta Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Garner, North Carolina, enrolling 1,010 students.
At 14.6:1, 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 runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Carolina, bigger than 90% of state schools at 1,010 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 322 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #127.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 505 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Garner's public schools, it stands alongside West View Elementary (969 students): Polenta Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 16.7:1).
Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students) and Clayton High (1,929 students) alongside Polenta 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 Polenta Elementary compares
Polenta 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 40.4% | ▼ 39% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,010 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,010
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.3%
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
$10,788
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 505 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
52
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.4 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 47.6%
Hispanic or Latino 27.9%
African American 17.6%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 47.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.1, Polenta 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 Johnston County Public Schools, which includes Polenta Elementary.
$10,788
Per student
-10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.7%
State 62.2%
Federal 17.1%
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 Polenta Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corinth Holders High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clayton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cleveland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Johnston High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smithfield-Selma High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Polenta Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,929
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,563
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,548
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Garner
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
West View Elementary
Standard public school
969 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Bryan Road Elementary
Standard public school
685 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Vandora Springs Elementary
Standard public school
582 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Creech Road Elementary
Standard public school
549 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
East Garner Elementary
Standard public school
535 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Rand Road Elementary
Standard public school
394 students 12.7:1 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 (~1,010 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Polenta Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Polenta Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Johnston County Public 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 Polenta Elementary
How many students attend Polenta Elementary?
Polenta Elementary has 1,010 students enrolled. It is a public school in Garner, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polenta Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Polenta Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 8% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 7% 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 Polenta Elementary?
40.4% of students at Polenta Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Polenta Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Polenta Elementary is White at 47.6% of enrollment, in Garner, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Polenta Elementary?
Polenta Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Polenta Elementary rank among schools in Garner?
By Resource Investment Index, Polenta Elementary ranks #7 of 9 schools in Garner, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Garner on the city page.
Is Polenta Elementary a good school?
Polenta Elementary earns 40/100 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 Johnston County Public Schools?
Besides Polenta Elementary, Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students), Clayton High (1,929 students), and Cleveland High (1,889 students). See the Johnston County Public 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.