Enrollment
618
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hampstead, NC
South Topsail Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Topsail Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370357002046
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Topsail Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Hampstead · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.7:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 31.8%
- free-lunch eligible
South Topsail Elementary has class sizes larger than 78% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Topsail Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Hampstead, NC.
School address
District: Pender County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370357002046 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Topsail Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Topsail Elementary
South Topsail Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hampstead, North Carolina, enrolling 618 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.7:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 31.8% free-meal eligibility runs 52% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 618 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 320 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #299, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 618 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hampstead's public schools, it stands alongside Surf City Elementary (857 students): South Topsail Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.7:1 vs 19.5:1).
Pender County Schools also operates Topsail High (1,945 students) and Surf City Elementary (857 students) alongside South Topsail 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 Topsail Elementary compares
South Topsail 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 | 17.7:1 | ▲ 12% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.8% | ▼ 52% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 618 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
618
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% 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
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 78% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.4%
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
$11,305
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 618 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 76.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
Two or More 7.3%
African American 3.1%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 76.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.0, South Topsail 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 Pender County Schools, which includes South Topsail Elementary.
$11,305
Per student
-6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.0%
State 56.8%
Federal 21.2%
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 Topsail Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsail High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surf City Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Topsail Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Surf City Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heide Trask High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Topsail Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,945
- Students per teacher
- 23.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 837
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 732
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in Hampstead
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 (~618 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Topsail Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Topsail Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pender 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 Topsail Elementary
How many students attend South Topsail Elementary?
South Topsail Elementary has 618 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hampstead, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Topsail Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Topsail Elementary is 17.7:1, which is 12% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Topsail Elementary?
31.8% of students at South Topsail Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Topsail Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Topsail Elementary is White at 76.9% of enrollment, in Hampstead, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Topsail Elementary?
South Topsail Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (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).
How does South Topsail Elementary rank among schools in Hampstead?
By Resource Investment Index, South Topsail Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Hampstead, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hampstead on the city page.
Is South Topsail Elementary a good school?
South Topsail Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Pender County Schools?
Besides South Topsail Elementary, Pender County Schools also operates Topsail High (1,945 students), Surf City Elementary (857 students), and Topsail Middle (837 students). See the Pender 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.