Enrollment
463
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Roxboro, NC
South Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370363001485
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Roxboro · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 99.3%
- 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 #3 of 3 schools in Roxboro, NC.
School address
District: Person County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370363001485 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% 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, mid-sized combined-grade school in Roxboro, North Carolina, enrolling 463 students.
At 15.4:1, 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 99.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 463 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 540 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #331.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and White (29%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 463 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Roxboro's public schools, it stands alongside Roxboro Community School (727 students): South Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 15.5:1).
Person County Schools also operates Person High (1,165 students) and Helena Elementary (512 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 | 15.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.3% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 463 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
463
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 55% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 45% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.5%
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
$13,423
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 463 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.9 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 43.4%
White 28.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.8%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 43.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.0, 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 Person County Schools, which includes South Elementary.
$13,423
Per student
+12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.3%
State 55.0%
Federal 21.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Helena Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northern Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Stories Creek Elementary | Similar size | 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
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Roxboro
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 (~463 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Person 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 463 students enrolled. It is a public school in Roxboro, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elementary is 15.4:1, which is 3% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 2% 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?
99.3% 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 African American at 43.4% of enrollment, in Roxboro, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elementary?
South Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Roxboro?
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Roxboro, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Roxboro on the city page.
Is South Elementary a good school?
South Elementary earns 34/100 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 Person County Schools?
Besides South Elementary, Person County Schools also operates Person High (1,165 students), Helena Elementary (512 students), and Southern Middle (456 students). See the Person 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.