Enrollment
379
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mill Spring, NC
Polk Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Polk Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370372000780
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Polk Central Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Mill Spring · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Polk Central Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 83% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Polk Central Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Mill Spring, NC.
School address
District: Polk County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370372000780 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Polk Central Elementary School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Polk Central Elementary School
Polk Central Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Mill Spring, North Carolina, enrolling 379 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 379 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 480 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #44, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Polk County Schools spends $15,096 per pupil, 26% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mill Spring's public schools, it stands alongside Sunny View Elementary School (120 students): Polk Central Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.6:1 vs 10.9:1).
Polk County Schools also operates Polk County High School (596 students) and Polk County Middle School (454 students) alongside Polk Central Elementary School.
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 Polk Central Elementary School compares
Polk Central Elementary School 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.1% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 379 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
379
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 17% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,096
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 78.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.3%
African American 5.3%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.1, Polk Central Elementary School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Polk County Schools, which includes Polk Central Elementary School.
$15,096
Per student
+26%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.0%
State 50.5%
Federal 19.5%
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 Polk Central Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Polk County Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tryon Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Saluda Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sunny View Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Polk Central Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 367
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 142
- Students per teacher
- 9.5:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 120
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
Similar other schools in Mill Spring
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~379 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Polk Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Polk Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Polk 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 Polk Central Elementary School
How many students attend Polk Central Elementary School?
Polk Central Elementary School has 379 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mill Spring, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Polk Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Polk Central Elementary School is 12.6:1, which is 20% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 20% 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 Polk Central Elementary School?
99.1% of students at Polk Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Polk Central Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Polk Central Elementary School is White at 78.9% of enrollment, in Mill Spring, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Polk Central Elementary School?
Polk Central Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Polk Central Elementary School rank among public schools in Mill Spring?
By Resource Investment Index, Polk Central Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Mill Spring, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Mill Spring on the city page.
Is Polk Central Elementary School a good school?
Polk Central Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Polk County Schools?
Besides Polk Central Elementary School, Polk County Schools also operates Polk County High School (596 students), Polk County Middle School (454 students), and Tryon Elementary School (367 students). See the Polk 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.