Enrollment
523
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370348001442
River Park Elementary — Hillsborough, NC
Federal NCES profile for River Park Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 57/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 67
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Orange County Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How River Park Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
River Park Elementary reports 523 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 12% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 32.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 51% below the North Carolina average and 37% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 262 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 13.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Orange County Schools spends $15,558 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.0% from local sources (property taxes), 48.0% from the state, and 14.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (C), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How River Park Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▼ 15% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.6% | ▼ 51% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 523 | top 54% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
32.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 51% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
— 15% below state mean
Top 33% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
13.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$15,558
per pupil, district-wide
— above North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 262 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 523 Top 54% in North Carolina — larger than 46% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 14:1 -15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 32.6% -51% vs state
NCES ID 370348001442
Student demographics
White 59.1%
Hispanic or Latino 25.0%
Two or More 7.6%
African American 5.2%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: White at 59.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 262:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 13.2%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orange County Schools, which includes River Park Elementary.
$15,558
Per student
+19%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.0%
State 48.0%
Federal 14.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,148
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Enrollment
- 532
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Enrollment
- 528
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
Similar other schools in Hillsborough
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Eno River Academy
Standard public school
828 students 13:1 students per teacher
Hillsborough Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Grady Brown Elementary
Standard public school
406 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Pathways Elementary
Standard public school
371 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Central Elementary
Standard public school
261 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about River Park Elementary
How many students attend River Park Elementary?
River Park Elementary has 523 students enrolled. It is a other school in Hillsborough, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at River Park Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at River Park Elementary is 14:1, which is 15% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 12% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at River Park Elementary?
32.6% of students at River Park Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of River Park Elementary?
The largest demographic group at River Park Elementary is White at 59.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Hillsborough, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for River Park Elementary?
River Park Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (C) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.