Enrollment
306
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370268001122
S Ray Lowder Elementary — Lincolnton, NC
Federal NCES profile for S Ray Lowder Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 50/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 49
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: Lincoln 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)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How S Ray Lowder 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
S Ray Lowder Elementary reports 306 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 20.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% 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 8% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 62.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 6% below the North Carolina average and 20% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 306 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 20.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Lincoln County Schools spends $11,236 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.4% from local sources (property taxes), 58.7% from the state, and 18.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 S Ray Lowder 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 11% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.2% | ▼ 6% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 306 | top 24% | — | — |
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
62.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 6% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
— 11% below state mean
Top 43% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
20.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,236
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 306 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 306 Top 24% in North Carolina — larger than 76% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 20.0
Students per teacher 14.6:1 -11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 62.2% -6% vs state
NCES ID 370268001122
Student demographics
White 49.7%
Hispanic or Latino 23.2%
African American 16.3%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 2.0%
Largest group: White at 49.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 306:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.6%
In-school suspensions 8
Out-of-school suspensions 10
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lincoln County Schools, which includes S Ray Lowder Elementary.
$11,236
Per student
-14%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-42%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,126
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
Similar other schools in Lincolnton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Battleground Elementary
Standard public school
420 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Childers Elementary
Standard public school
418 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Ge Massey Elementary
Standard public school
370 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Pumpkin Center Primary
Standard public school
325 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Love Memorial Elementary
Standard public school
315 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Asbury Academy
Alternative education program
34 students 4.3:1 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 S Ray Lowder Elementary
How many students attend S Ray Lowder Elementary?
S Ray Lowder Elementary has 306 students enrolled. It is a other school in Lincolnton, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at S Ray Lowder Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at S Ray Lowder Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 11% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 8% 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 S Ray Lowder Elementary?
62.2% of students at S Ray Lowder Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of S Ray Lowder Elementary?
The largest demographic group at S Ray Lowder Elementary is White at 49.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Lincolnton, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for S Ray Lowder Elementary?
S Ray Lowder Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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.