Enrollment
774
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fuquay-Varina, NC
South Lakes Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Lakes Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370472003519
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Lakes Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Fuquay-Varina · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 19.4%
- free-lunch eligible
South Lakes Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Lakes Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Fuquay-Varina, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472003519 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Lakes Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Lakes Elementary
South Lakes Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, enrolling 774 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.4% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 774 puts it in the larger 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 240 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #154.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Asian (20%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 774 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fuquay-Varina's public schools, it stands alongside Herbert Akins Rd Elementary (988 students): South Lakes Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 15:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside South Lakes 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 Lakes Elementary compares
South Lakes 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.4% | ▼ 71% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 774 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
774
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,859
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 774 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 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 49.0%
Asian 19.8%
African American 14.1%
Hispanic or Latino 12.4%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 49.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.4, South Lakes 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 Wake County Schools, which includes South Lakes Elementary.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 Lakes Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Lakes Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Fuquay-Varina
3 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 (~774 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Lakes Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Lakes Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wake 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 Lakes Elementary
How many students attend South Lakes Elementary?
South Lakes Elementary has 774 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fuquay-Varina, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Lakes Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Lakes Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 9% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 9% 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 Lakes Elementary?
19.4% of students at South Lakes Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Lakes Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Lakes Elementary is White at 49.0% of enrollment, in Fuquay-Varina, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Lakes Elementary?
South Lakes 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 Lakes Elementary rank among schools in Fuquay-Varina?
By Resource Investment Index, South Lakes Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Fuquay-Varina, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fuquay-Varina on the city page.
Is South Lakes Elementary a good school?
South Lakes 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides South Lakes Elementary, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake 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.