Enrollment
379
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Carthage, NC
Sandhills Farm Life Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sandhills Farm Life Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370309001325
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sandhills Farm Life Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Carthage · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 24.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Sandhills Farm Life Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sandhills Farm Life Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Carthage, NC.
School address
District: Moore County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370309001325 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-62% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sandhills Farm Life Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sandhills Farm Life Elementary
Sandhills Farm Life Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Carthage, North Carolina, enrolling 379 students.
At 14.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.9% free-meal eligibility runs 62% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 379 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 137 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #91.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Two or More (11%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Moore County Schools also operates Pinecrest High (2,290 students) and Union Pines High (1,462 students) alongside Sandhills Farm Life 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 Sandhills Farm Life Elementary compares
Sandhills Farm Life 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.9% | ▼ 62% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 379 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
379
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 62% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.6%
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
$11,242
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 75.7%
Two or More 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
African American 5.5%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 75.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.8, Sandhills Farm Life 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 Moore County Schools, which includes Sandhills Farm Life Elementary.
$11,242
Per student
-6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.6%
State 57.2%
Federal 19.2%
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 Sandhills Farm Life Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinecrest High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Union Pines High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Pine Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcdeeds Creek Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aberdeen Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sandhills Farm Life Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,290
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,462
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 717
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 707
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary 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 (~379 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sandhills Farm Life Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sandhills Farm Life Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Moore 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 Sandhills Farm Life Elementary
How many students attend Sandhills Farm Life Elementary?
Sandhills Farm Life Elementary has 379 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Carthage, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sandhills Farm Life Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sandhills Farm Life Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 8% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 7% 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 Sandhills Farm Life Elementary?
24.9% of students at Sandhills Farm Life Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sandhills Farm Life Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sandhills Farm Life Elementary is White at 75.7% of enrollment, in Carthage, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sandhills Farm Life Elementary?
Sandhills Farm Life Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Sandhills Farm Life Elementary rank among public schools in Carthage?
By Resource Investment Index, Sandhills Farm Life Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Carthage, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Carthage on the city page.
Is Sandhills Farm Life Elementary a good school?
Sandhills Farm Life Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Moore County Schools?
Besides Sandhills Farm Life Elementary, Moore County Schools also operates Pinecrest High (2,290 students), Union Pines High (1,462 students), and West Pine Middle (717 students). See the Moore 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.