Enrollment
465
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Franklin, NC
South Macon Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Macon Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370276002589
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Macon Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Franklin · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.8:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 66.9%
- free-lunch eligible
South Macon Elementary has class sizes smaller than 93% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Macon Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Franklin, NC.
School address
District: Macon County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370276002589 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Macon Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Macon Elementary
South Macon Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Franklin, North Carolina, enrolling 465 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.8:1, South Macon Elementary is leaner than roughly 93% of North Carolina schools and 32% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 66.9% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 465 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 395 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #69.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 465 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 23.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Franklin's public schools, it stands alongside Iotla Valley Elementary (408 students): South Macon Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.8:1 vs 13.2:1).
Macon County Schools also operates Franklin High (996 students) and Mountain View Intermediate (614 students) alongside South Macon 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 Macon Elementary compares
South Macon 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 | 10.8:1 | ▼ 32% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.9% | ▲ 1% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 465 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
465
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 7% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,154
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 465 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 69.9%
Hispanic or Latino 26.7%
Two or More 3.2%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 69.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.9, South Macon Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Macon County Schools, which includes South Macon Elementary.
$13,154
Per student
+9%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.4%
State 56.4%
Federal 23.2%
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 Macon Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Macon Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Iotla Valley Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cartoogechaye Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Macon Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 996
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 576
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 354
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools in Franklin
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Iotla Valley Elementary
Standard public school
408 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Cartoogechaye Elementary
Standard public school
354 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Union Academy
Alternative education program
102 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Macon Virtual Academy
Standard public school
44 students 44:1 students per teacher
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 (~465 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Macon Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Macon Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Macon 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 Macon Elementary
How many students attend South Macon Elementary?
South Macon Elementary has 465 students enrolled. It is a public school in Franklin, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Macon Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Macon Elementary is 10.8:1, which is 32% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 31% 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 Macon Elementary?
66.9% of students at South Macon Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Macon Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Macon Elementary is White at 69.9% of enrollment, in Franklin, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Macon Elementary?
South Macon Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Macon Elementary rank among schools in Franklin?
By Resource Investment Index, South Macon Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Franklin, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Franklin on the city page.
Is South Macon Elementary a good school?
South Macon Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of North Carolina schools. 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 Macon County Schools?
Besides South Macon Elementary, Macon County Schools also operates Franklin High (996 students), Mountain View Intermediate (614 students), and Macon Middle School (576 students). See the Macon 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.