Enrollment
206
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rowland, NC
Southside Ashpole Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Southside Ashpole Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370393003484
👥 S:T ratio 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside Ashpole Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Rowland · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 98.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside Ashpole Elementary has class sizes smaller than 87% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Ashpole Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Rowland, NC.
School address
District: Public Schools of Robeson County · North Carolina
NCES ID 370393003484 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Ashpole Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside Ashpole Elementary
Southside Ashpole Elementary is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Rowland, North Carolina, enrolling 206 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.1:1, Southside Ashpole Elementary is leaner than roughly 87% of North Carolina schools and 23% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 206 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 175 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #29.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (45%) and African American (38%) (diversity index 65/100).
Its district draws 27.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Rowland's public schools, it stands alongside Union Elementary (351 students): Southside Ashpole Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.1:1 vs 14:1).
Public Schools of Robeson County also operates Lumberton Senior High (1,894 students) and Purnell Swett High (1,583 students) alongside Southside Ashpole 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 Southside Ashpole Elementary compares
Southside Ashpole 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 23% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.3% | ▲ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 206 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
206
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 13% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,594
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.
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
American Indian / Alaska Native 44.7%
African American 37.9%
Two or More 8.3%
White 4.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 44.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.6, Southside Ashpole Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Public Schools of Robeson County, which includes Southside Ashpole Elementary.
$12,594
Per student
+5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.8%
State 60.4%
Federal 27.8%
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 Southside Ashpole Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumberton Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Purnell Swett High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Saint Pauls High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Red Springs High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairmont High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southside Ashpole Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,894
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,583
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,142
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 780
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Rowland
1 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 (~206 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside Ashpole Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Southside Ashpole Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Public Schools of Robeson County'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 Southside Ashpole Elementary
How many students attend Southside Ashpole Elementary?
Southside Ashpole Elementary has 206 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rowland, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside Ashpole Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside Ashpole Elementary is 12.1:1, which is 23% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 23% 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 Southside Ashpole Elementary?
98.3% of students at Southside Ashpole Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside Ashpole Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Southside Ashpole Elementary is American Indian / Alaska Native at 44.7% of enrollment, in Rowland, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside Ashpole Elementary?
Southside Ashpole Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Southside Ashpole Elementary rank among public schools in Rowland?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Ashpole Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Rowland, 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 Rowland on the city page.
Is Southside Ashpole Elementary a good school?
Southside Ashpole Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% 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 Public Schools of Robeson County?
Besides Southside Ashpole Elementary, Public Schools of Robeson County also operates Lumberton Senior High (1,894 students), Purnell Swett High (1,583 students), and Saint Pauls High (1,142 students). See the Public Schools of Robeson County district page for the complete list.
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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.