Enrollment
710
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Durham, NC
Research Triangle Charter
Federal NCES profile for Research Triangle Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370008102444Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Research Triangle Charter earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of North Carolina schools.
- #15 of 15
- elementary schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.5:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 68.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Research Triangle Charter has class sizes larger than 92% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Research Triangle Charter ranks #15 of 15 elementary schools in Durham, NC.
School address
District: Research Triangle Charter · North Carolina
NCES ID 370008102444 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+36% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Research Triangle Charter compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Research Triangle Charter
Research Triangle Charter is a higher-need, mid-sized charter elementary school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 710 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.5:1 is larger than about 92% of North Carolina schools and 36% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 68.3% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 710 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 320 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #318, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 52/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Durham's elementary schools, it stands alongside Forest View Elementary (662 students): Research Triangle Charter is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.5:1 vs 13:1).
Research Triangle Charter is a single-school charter district, so Research Triangle Charter operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Research Triangle Charter compares
Research Triangle Charter 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 | 21.5:1 | ▲ 36% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.3% | ▲ 3% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 710 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
710
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 36% above state mean
Top 92% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
39.0%
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
$12,058
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 69 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.9 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
African American 64.6%
Hispanic or Latino 23.9%
Two or More 7.2%
White 3.2%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 64.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.9, Research Triangle Charter is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Research Triangle Charter, which includes Research Triangle Charter.
$12,058
Per student
+0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
Similar elementary schools in Durham
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Forest View Elementary
Standard public school
662 students 13:1 students per teacher
Maureen Joy Charter School
Standard public school
631 students
Central Park School for Child
Standard public school
585 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Creekside Elementary
Standard public school
554 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Hope Valley Elementary
Standard public school
539 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Easley Elementary
Standard public school
490 students 13.6:1 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 (~710 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Research Triangle Charter's federal record.
- Compare Research Triangle Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Research Triangle Charter'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 Research Triangle Charter
How many students attend Research Triangle Charter?
Research Triangle Charter has 710 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Research Triangle Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Research Triangle Charter is 21.5:1, which is 36% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Research Triangle Charter?
68.3% of students at Research Triangle Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Research Triangle Charter?
The largest demographic group at Research Triangle Charter is African American at 64.6% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Research Triangle Charter?
Research Triangle Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Research Triangle Charter rank among elementary schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, Research Triangle Charter ranks #15 of 15 elementary schools in Durham, 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 Durham on the city page.
Is Research Triangle Charter a good school?
Research Triangle Charter earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Research Triangle Charter?
None; Research Triangle Charter is a single-school charter district, and Research Triangle Charter is its only campus.
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.