Enrollment
394
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Garner, NC
Rand Road Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rand Road Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370472002282
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rand Road Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 9
- schools in Garner · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 43.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Rand Road Elementary has class sizes smaller than 81% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rand Road Elementary ranks #2 of 9 schools in Garner, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472002282 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rand Road Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rand Road Elementary
Rand Road Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Garner, North Carolina, enrolling 394 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 394 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 330 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #109.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 197 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% 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 Polenta Elementary (1,010 students): Rand Road Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 14.6:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Rand Road 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 Rand Road Elementary compares
Rand Road 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.8% | ▼ 34% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 394 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
394
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 19% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.0%
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
$11,859
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 197 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.6 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 48.5%
African American 23.1%
Hispanic or Latino 22.6%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 48.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.8, Rand Road 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 Wake County Schools, which includes Rand Road Elementary.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 Rand Road Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rand Road Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Garner
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Polenta Elementary
Standard public school
1,010 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
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
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 (~394 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rand Road Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rand Road Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wake 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 Rand Road Elementary
How many students attend Rand Road Elementary?
Rand Road Elementary has 394 students enrolled. It is a public school in Garner, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rand Road Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rand Road Elementary is 12.7:1, which is 20% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 19% 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 Rand Road Elementary?
43.8% of students at Rand Road Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rand Road Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Rand Road Elementary is White at 48.5% of enrollment, in Garner, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rand Road Elementary?
Rand Road Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Rand Road Elementary rank among schools in Garner?
By Resource Investment Index, Rand Road Elementary ranks #2 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 Rand Road Elementary a good school?
Rand Road Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Rand Road Elementary, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake 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.