Enrollment
413
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Southport, NC
Southport Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Southport Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370042000129
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southport Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Southport · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 99.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Southport Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southport Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Southport, NC.
School address
District: Brunswick County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370042000129 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southport Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southport Elementary
Southport Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Southport, North Carolina, enrolling 413 students.
At 14.8:1, 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 413 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.
Among 520 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #382, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 413 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Brunswick County Schools also operates North Brunswick High (1,620 students) and West Brunswick High (1,466 students) alongside Southport 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 Southport Elementary compares
Southport 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 | 14.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.3% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 413 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
413
Bigger than 49% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 46% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
41.6%
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
$12,819
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 413 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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 72.4%
African American 9.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
Two or More 7.0%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 72.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.2, Southport 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 Brunswick County Schools, which includes Southport Elementary.
$12,819
Per student
+7%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 46.4%
Federal 19.1%
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 Southport Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Brunswick High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Brunswick High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Brunswick High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Belville Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Leland Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southport Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,620
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,466
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,154
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 812
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~413 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southport Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Southport Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Brunswick 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 Southport Elementary
How many students attend Southport Elementary?
Southport Elementary has 413 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Southport, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southport Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Southport Elementary is 14.8:1, which is 6% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% 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 Southport Elementary?
99.3% of students at Southport Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southport Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Southport Elementary is White at 72.4% of enrollment, in Southport, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southport Elementary?
Southport Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Southport Elementary rank among public schools in Southport?
By Resource Investment Index, Southport Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Southport, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Southport on the city page.
Is Southport Elementary a good school?
Southport Elementary earns 32/100 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 Brunswick County Schools?
Besides Southport Elementary, Brunswick County Schools also operates North Brunswick High (1,620 students), West Brunswick High (1,466 students), and South Brunswick High (1,154 students). See the Brunswick 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.