Enrollment
235
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mebane, NC
South Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370066000128
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Mebane · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 96.4%
- free-lunch eligible
South Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Mebane, NC.
School address
District: Caswell County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370066000128 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Elementary
South Elementary is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Mebane, North Carolina, enrolling 235 students.
At 14.7:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 96.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 235 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 209 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #120.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (32%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 235 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mebane's public schools, it stands alongside Audrey W. Garrett Elementary (785 students): South Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 18.7:1).
Caswell County Schools also operates Bartlett Yancey High (635 students) and N L Dillard Middle (432 students) alongside South 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 South Elementary compares
South 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 7% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.4% | ▲ 46% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 235 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
235
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 45% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
43.0%
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
$13,976
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 235 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 36 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.7 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 51.9%
African American 31.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
Two or More 6.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 51.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.8, South 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 Caswell County Schools, which includes South Elementary.
$13,976
Per student
+16%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.9%
State 65.1%
Federal 24.1%
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 South Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bartlett Yancey High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| N L Dillard Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oakwood Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stoney Creek Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 336
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 140
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Mebane
2 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 (~235 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Caswell 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 South Elementary
How many students attend South Elementary?
South Elementary has 235 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mebane, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elementary is 14.7:1, which is 7% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% 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 South Elementary?
96.4% of students at South Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Elementary is White at 51.9% of enrollment, in Mebane, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elementary?
South Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 South Elementary rank among schools in Mebane?
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Mebane, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mebane on the city page.
Is South Elementary a good school?
South Elementary earns 41/100 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 Caswell County Schools?
Besides South Elementary, Caswell County Schools also operates Bartlett Yancey High (635 students), N L Dillard Middle (432 students), and Oakwood Elementary (336 students). See the Caswell 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.