Enrollment
666
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Wilmington, NC
Porters Neck Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Porters Neck Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370333003520
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Porters Neck Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #11 of 24
- elementary schools in Wilmington · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 23.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Porters Neck Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Porters Neck Elementary ranks #11 of 24 elementary schools in Wilmington, NC.
School address
District: New Hanover County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370333003520 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Porters Neck Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Porters Neck Elementary
Porters Neck Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Wilmington, North Carolina, enrolling 666 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.1% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 666 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 267 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #125.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 666 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Wilmington's elementary schools, it stands alongside Ogden Elementary (619 students): Porters Neck Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.6:1 vs 16.3:1).
New Hanover County Schools also operates Emsley a Laney High (2,243 students) and John T Hoggard High (2,082 students) alongside Porters Neck 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 Porters Neck Elementary compares
Porters Neck 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.1% | ▼ 65% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 666 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
666
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 69% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.3%
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
$13,724
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 666 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 79.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
African American 4.5%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.4, Porters Neck Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for New Hanover County Schools, which includes Porters Neck Elementary.
$13,724
Per student
+14%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 51.7%
Federal 18.8%
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 Porters Neck Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emsley a Laney High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John T Hoggard High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eugene Ashley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| New Hanover High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charles P Murray Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Porters Neck Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,243
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,082
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,893
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,437
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 907
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Wilmington
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Ogden Elementary
Standard public school
619 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Masonboro Elementary
Standard public school
564 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Heyward C Bellamy Elem
Standard public school
533 students 14:1 students per teacher
The International School at Gregory
Standard public school
514 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Edwin a Anderson Elementary
Standard public school
514 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
College Park Elementary
Standard public school
470 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~666 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Porters Neck Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Porters Neck Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- New Hanover 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 Porters Neck Elementary
How many students attend Porters Neck Elementary?
Porters Neck Elementary has 666 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Wilmington, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Porters Neck Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Porters Neck Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 5% 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 Porters Neck Elementary?
23.1% of students at Porters Neck Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Porters Neck Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Porters Neck Elementary is White at 79.6% of enrollment, in Wilmington, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Porters Neck Elementary?
Porters Neck Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Porters Neck Elementary rank among elementary schools in Wilmington?
By Resource Investment Index, Porters Neck Elementary ranks #11 of 24 elementary schools in Wilmington, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Wilmington on the city page.
Is Porters Neck Elementary a good school?
Porters Neck Elementary earns 44/100 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 New Hanover County Schools?
Besides Porters Neck Elementary, New Hanover County Schools also operates Emsley a Laney High (2,243 students), John T Hoggard High (2,082 students), and Eugene Ashley High (1,893 students). See the New Hanover 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.