Enrollment
98
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Newland, NC
Riverside Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370030000089
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside Elementary earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Newland · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.9:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 65.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside Elementary has class sizes smaller than 92% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Newland, NC.
School address
District: Avery County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370030000089 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside Elementary
Riverside Elementary is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Newland, North Carolina, enrolling 98 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.9:1, Riverside Elementary is leaner than roughly 92% of North Carolina schools and 31% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 65.0% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of North Carolina schools, with 98 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 25 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #7.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 196 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Avery County Schools spends $15,311 per pupil, 27% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Newland's public schools, it stands alongside Newland Elementary (214 students): Riverside Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.9:1 vs 11.9:1).
Avery County Schools also operates Avery County High (542 students) and Newland Elementary (214 students) alongside Riverside 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 Riverside Elementary compares
Riverside 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 | 10.9:1 | ▼ 31% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.0% | ▼ 2% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 98 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.9:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
98
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
10.9:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 8% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,311
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 90.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
African American 3.1%
Two or More 1.0%
Largest group: White at 90.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.2, Riverside 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 Avery County Schools, which includes Riverside Elementary.
$15,311
Per student
+27%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.0%
State 50.1%
Federal 18.9%
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 Riverside Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avery County High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Newland Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cranberry Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Freedom Trail Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crossnore Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 542
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 214
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 202
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 202
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 184
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Newland
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 (~98 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Riverside Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Avery 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 Riverside Elementary
How many students attend Riverside Elementary?
Riverside Elementary has 98 students enrolled. It is a public school in Newland, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary is 10.9:1, which is 31% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 31% 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 Riverside Elementary?
65.0% of students at Riverside Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Elementary is White at 90.8% of enrollment, in Newland, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Elementary?
Riverside Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (higher 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 Riverside Elementary rank among schools in Newland?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Newland, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Newland on the city page.
Is Riverside Elementary a good school?
Riverside Elementary earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. 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 Avery County Schools?
Besides Riverside Elementary, Avery County Schools also operates Avery County High (542 students), Newland Elementary (214 students), and Cranberry Middle (202 students). See the Avery 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.