Enrollment
476
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bunnlevel, NC
South Harnett Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Harnett Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370201000892
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Harnett Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 58.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 476
- students enrolled
South Harnett Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Harnett County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370201000892 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Harnett Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Harnett Elementary
South Harnett Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Bunnlevel, North Carolina, enrolling 476 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.5% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 476 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 472 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #439, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (40%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 71/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 476 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students) and Harnett Central High (1,522 students) alongside South Harnett 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 Harnett Elementary compares
South Harnett 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.5% | ▼ 11% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 476 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
476
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 61% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.4%
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
$11,026
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 476 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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 39.9%
African American 27.9%
Hispanic or Latino 21.8%
Two or More 9.0%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 39.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.7, South Harnett 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 Harnett County Schools, which includes South Harnett Elementary.
$11,026
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.4%
State 62.0%
Federal 24.6%
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 Harnett Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harnett Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western Harnett High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Triton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benhaven Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Harnett Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,981
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,522
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,274
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar elementary 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 (~476 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Harnett Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Harnett Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Harnett 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 Harnett Elementary
How many students attend South Harnett Elementary?
South Harnett Elementary has 476 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bunnlevel, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Harnett Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Harnett Elementary is 15.9:1, which is 1% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Harnett Elementary?
58.5% of students at South Harnett Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Harnett Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Harnett Elementary is White at 39.9% of enrollment, in Bunnlevel, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Harnett Elementary?
South Harnett Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (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).
Is South Harnett Elementary a good school?
South Harnett Elementary earns 28/100 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 Harnett County Schools?
Besides South Harnett Elementary, Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students), Harnett Central High (1,522 students), and Western Harnett High (1,324 students). See the Harnett 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.