Enrollment
495
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · King, NC
Poplar Springs Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Poplar Springs Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370438003252
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Poplar Springs Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in King · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 51.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Poplar Springs Elementary School has class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Springs Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in King, NC.
School address
District: Stokes County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370438003252 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Poplar Springs Elementary School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Poplar Springs Elementary School
Poplar Springs Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in King, North Carolina, enrolling 495 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 51.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 495 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 463 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #184.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 495 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among King's public schools, it stands alongside King Elementary School (383 students): Poplar Springs Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.7:1 vs 12.8:1).
Stokes County Schools also operates West Stokes High School (799 students) and Chestnut Grove Middle School (662 students) alongside Poplar Springs 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 Poplar Springs Elementary School compares
Poplar Springs 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 | 17.7:1 | ▲ 12% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.7% | ▼ 22% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 495 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
495
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 78% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,084
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 495 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 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
White 83.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 2.2%
African American 2.0%
Largest group: White at 83.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.3, Poplar Springs 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 Stokes County Schools, which includes Poplar Springs Elementary School.
$13,084
Per student
+9%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.6%
State 60.4%
Federal 17.0%
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 Poplar Springs Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Stokes High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chestnut Grove Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Stokes High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southeastern Stokes Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| King Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Poplar Springs Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 799
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 538
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in King
2 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 (~495 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Poplar Springs Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Poplar Springs Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Stokes 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 Poplar Springs Elementary School
How many students attend Poplar Springs Elementary School?
Poplar Springs Elementary School has 495 students enrolled. It is a public school in King, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Poplar Springs Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Poplar Springs Elementary School is 17.7:1, which is 12% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Poplar Springs Elementary School?
51.7% of students at Poplar Springs Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Poplar Springs Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Poplar Springs Elementary School is White at 83.4% of enrollment, in King, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Poplar Springs Elementary School?
Poplar Springs Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Poplar Springs Elementary School rank among schools in King?
By Resource Investment Index, Poplar Springs Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in King, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in King on the city page.
Is Poplar Springs Elementary School a good school?
Poplar Springs Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Stokes County Schools?
Besides Poplar Springs Elementary School, Stokes County Schools also operates West Stokes High School (799 students), Chestnut Grove Middle School (662 students), and South Stokes High School (538 students). See the Stokes 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.