Enrollment
589
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Durham, NC
Sandy Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sandy Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370126003185
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sandy Ridge Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #15 of 33
- schools in Durham · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 63.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Sandy Ridge Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sandy Ridge Elementary ranks #15 of 33 schools in Durham, NC.
School address
District: Durham Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370126003185 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sandy Ridge Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sandy Ridge Elementary
Sandy Ridge Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Durham, North Carolina, enrolling 589 students.
At 15.1:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.4% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 589 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 454 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #69.
Its student body is led by African American (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 295 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Durham Public Schools spends $14,937 per pupil, 24% above the North Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Durham's public schools, it stands alongside Nc Virtual Academy (3,482 students): Sandy Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.1:1 vs 24.7:1).
Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students) and Riverside High (1,900 students) alongside Sandy Ridge 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 Sandy Ridge Elementary compares
Sandy Ridge 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 | 15.1:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.4% | ▼ 4% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 589 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
589
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 50% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.3%
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
$14,937
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 295 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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
African American 52.6%
Hispanic or Latino 31.9%
White 7.3%
Two or More 7.3%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 52.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.1, Sandy Ridge Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Durham Public Schools, which includes Sandy Ridge Elementary.
$14,937
Per student
+24%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.0%
Federal 19.5%
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 Sandy Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C E Jordan High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Durham School of the Arts | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillside High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern School of Energy and Sustainabi | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sandy Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,189
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,900
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,764
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,433
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,384
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Durham
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Nc Virtual Academy
Standard public school
3,482 students 24.7:1 students per teacher
North Carolina Cyber Academy
Standard public school
2,461 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Durham School of the Arts
Standard public school
1,764 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Voyager Academy
Standard public school
1,360 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Excelsior Classical Academy
Standard public school
1,032 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Durham Charter School
Standard public school
1,010 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~589 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sandy Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sandy Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Durham Public 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 Sandy Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Sandy Ridge Elementary?
Sandy Ridge Elementary has 589 students enrolled. It is a public school in Durham, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sandy Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sandy Ridge Elementary is 15.1:1, which is 4% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 4% 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 Sandy Ridge Elementary?
63.4% of students at Sandy Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sandy Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sandy Ridge Elementary is African American at 52.6% of enrollment, in Durham, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sandy Ridge Elementary?
Sandy Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Sandy Ridge Elementary rank among schools in Durham?
By Resource Investment Index, Sandy Ridge Elementary ranks #15 of 33 schools in Durham, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Durham on the city page.
Is Sandy Ridge Elementary a good school?
Sandy Ridge Elementary earns 46/100 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 Durham Public Schools?
Besides Sandy Ridge Elementary, Durham Public Schools also operates C E Jordan High (2,189 students), Riverside High (1,900 students), and Durham School of the Arts (1,764 students). See the Durham Public 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.