Enrollment
639
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Denver, NC
Rock Springs Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rock Springs Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370268001121
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rock Springs Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.8:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 20.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Rock Springs Elementary has class sizes larger than 71% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rock Springs Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Denver, NC.
School address
District: Lincoln County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370268001121 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rock Springs Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rock Springs Elementary
Rock Springs Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Denver, North Carolina, enrolling 639 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.1% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 639 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 229 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #12, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 320 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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 Denver's public schools, it stands alongside Lincoln Charter School (2,316 students): Rock Springs Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.8:1 vs 18:1).
Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students) and East Lincoln High (1,047 students) alongside Rock Springs 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 Rock Springs Elementary compares
Rock Springs 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.1% | ▼ 70% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 639 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
639
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 71% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,582
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 320 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 81.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
Two or More 5.2%
African American 4.4%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 81.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.7, Rock Springs 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 Lincoln County Schools, which includes Rock Springs Elementary.
$10,582
Per student
-12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 58.7%
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 Rock Springs Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincolnton High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Lincoln Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rock Springs Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,126
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Denver
3 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 (~639 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rock Springs Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rock Springs Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln 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 Rock Springs Elementary
How many students attend Rock Springs Elementary?
Rock Springs Elementary has 639 students enrolled. It is a public school in Denver, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rock Springs Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rock Springs Elementary is 16.8:1, which is 6% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rock Springs Elementary?
20.1% of students at Rock Springs Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rock Springs Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Rock Springs Elementary is White at 81.4% of enrollment, in Denver, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rock Springs Elementary?
Rock Springs Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Rock Springs Elementary rank among schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, Rock Springs Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Denver, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Denver on the city page.
Is Rock Springs Elementary a good school?
Rock Springs Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Lincoln County Schools?
Besides Rock Springs Elementary, Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students), East Lincoln High (1,047 students), and Lincolnton High (797 students). See the Lincoln 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.