Enrollment
738
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mooresville, NC
Shepherd Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Shepherd Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370231000993
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shepherd Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of North Carolina schools.
- #8 of 9
- schools in Mooresville · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.8:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 40.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Shepherd 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, Shepherd Elementary ranks #8 of 9 schools in Mooresville, NC.
School address
District: Iredell-Statesville Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370231000993 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
40.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shepherd Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shepherd Elementary
Shepherd Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Mooresville, North Carolina, enrolling 738 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 40.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 738 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 440 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #421, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 738 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mooresville's public schools, it stands alongside Pine Lake Preparatory (1,888 students): Shepherd Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.8:1 vs 16.9:1).
Iredell-Statesville Schools also operates Lake Norman High (1,905 students) and South Iredell High (1,768 students) alongside Shepherd 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 Shepherd Elementary compares
Shepherd 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 | 40.8% | ▼ 38% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 738 | top 22% | - | - |
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.
738
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
40.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
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
38.5%
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
$10,865
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 738 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
46
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 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 64.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.4%
Two or More 8.9%
African American 8.7%
Asian 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 64.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.0, Shepherd Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Iredell-Statesville Schools, which includes Shepherd Elementary.
$10,865
Per student
-10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.6%
State 53.9%
Federal 21.5%
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 Shepherd Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Norman High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Iredell High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Statesville High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Iredell High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Troutman Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shepherd Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,905
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,768
- Students per teacher
- 22.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 991
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 983
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Mooresville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pine Lake Preparatory
Standard public school
1,888 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Langtree Charter Academy
Standard public school
1,376 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Coddle Creek Elementary
Standard public school
808 students 18:1 students per teacher
Lakeshore Elementary
Standard public school
658 students 14:1 students per teacher
Lake Norman Elementary
Standard public school
641 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Woodland Heights Elementary
Standard public school
594 students 13.8:1 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 (~738 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shepherd Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Shepherd Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Iredell-Statesville 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 Shepherd Elementary
How many students attend Shepherd Elementary?
Shepherd Elementary has 738 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mooresville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shepherd Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Shepherd 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 Shepherd Elementary?
40.8% of students at Shepherd Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shepherd Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Shepherd Elementary is White at 64.2% of enrollment, in Mooresville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shepherd Elementary?
Shepherd Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 Shepherd Elementary rank among schools in Mooresville?
By Resource Investment Index, Shepherd Elementary ranks #8 of 9 schools in Mooresville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mooresville on the city page.
Is Shepherd Elementary a good school?
Shepherd Elementary earns 27/100 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 Iredell-Statesville Schools?
Besides Shepherd Elementary, Iredell-Statesville Schools also operates Lake Norman High (1,905 students), South Iredell High (1,768 students), and Statesville High (991 students). See the Iredell-Statesville 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.