Enrollment
335
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dobson, NC
Rockford Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rockford Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370441003221
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rockford Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Dobson · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 71.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Rockford Elementary has class sizes smaller than 79% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rockford Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Dobson, NC.
School address
District: Surry County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370441003221 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rockford Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rockford Elementary
Rockford Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Dobson, North Carolina, enrolling 335 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 71.2% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 335 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 229 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #199, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (44%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Dobson's public schools, it stands alongside Dobson Elementary (350 students): Rockford Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.9:1 vs 14.6:1).
Surry County Schools also operates North Surry High (792 students) and Surry Central High (679 students) alongside Rockford 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 Rockford Elementary compares
Rockford 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.2% | ▲ 8% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 335 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
335
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 21% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.9%
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
$12,638
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 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 52.5%
Hispanic or Latino 43.6%
Two or More 3.9%
Largest group: White at 52.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.3, Rockford Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Surry County Schools, which includes Rockford Elementary.
$12,638
Per student
+5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.6%
State 60.1%
Federal 24.3%
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 Rockford Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Surry High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surry Central High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Surry High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Franklin Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rockford Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 679
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 473
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Dobson
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 (~335 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rockford Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rockford Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Surry 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 Rockford Elementary
How many students attend Rockford Elementary?
Rockford Elementary has 335 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dobson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rockford Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rockford Elementary is 12.9:1, which is 18% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 18% 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 Rockford Elementary?
71.2% of students at Rockford Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rockford Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Rockford Elementary is White at 52.5% of enrollment, in Dobson, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rockford Elementary?
Rockford Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Rockford Elementary rank among schools in Dobson?
By Resource Investment Index, Rockford Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Dobson, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Dobson on the city page.
Is Rockford Elementary a good school?
Rockford Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Surry County Schools?
Besides Rockford Elementary, Surry County Schools also operates North Surry High (792 students), Surry Central High (679 students), and East Surry High (576 students). See the Surry 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.