Enrollment
466
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370312001336
South Elementary — Mooresville, NC
Federal NCES profile for South Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 25/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 19
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: Mooresville Graded School District · 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)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South 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
South Elementary reports 466 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% 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 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 56.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 14% below the North Carolina average and 10% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 466 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 32.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Mooresville Graded School District spends $16,322 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 35.2% from local sources (property taxes), 49.3% from the state, and 15.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F), 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 South 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.8% | ▼ 14% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 466 | top 46% | — | — |
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
56.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 14% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 13% below state mean
Top 38% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
32.2%
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
$16,322
per pupil, district-wide
— above 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 466 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 466 Top 46% in North Carolina — larger than 54% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 -13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 56.8% -14% vs state
NCES ID 370312001336
Student demographics
White 45.3%
African American 23.6%
Hispanic or Latino 18.7%
Two or More 10.1%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 45.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 466:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 32.2%
In-school suspensions 32
Out-of-school suspensions 12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mooresville Graded School District, which includes South Elementary.
$16,322
Per student
+25%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 49.3%
Federal 15.4%
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
- 1,923
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 696
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 690
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Enrollment
- 612
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Enrollment
- 460
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
Similar other schools in Mooresville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pine Lake Preparatory
Standard public school
1,888 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Langtree Charter Academy
Standard public school
1,376 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Coddle Creek Elementary
Standard public school
808 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Shepherd Elementary
Standard public school
738 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Lakeshore Elementary
Standard public school
658 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Lake Norman Elementary
Standard public school
641 students 16.4:1 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 South Elementary
How many students attend South Elementary?
South Elementary has 466 students enrolled. It is a other school in Mooresville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 13% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 10% 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 South Elementary?
56.8% 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 45.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Mooresville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elementary?
South Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (F) 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.