Enrollment
653
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Denver, NC
St James Elementary
Federal NCES profile for St James Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370268002674
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
St James Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Denver · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.1:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 24.3%
- free-lunch eligible
St James Elementary has class sizes larger than 82% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, St James Elementary ranks #3 of 4 schools in Denver, NC.
School address
District: Lincoln County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370268002674 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How St James Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at St James Elementary
St James Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Denver, North Carolina, enrolling 653 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.3% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 653 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 277 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #28, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 327 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Denver's public schools, it stands alongside Lincoln Charter School (2,316 students): St James Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.1:1 vs 18:1).
Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students) and East Lincoln High (1,047 students) alongside St James 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 St James Elementary compares
St James 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 15% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.3% | ▼ 63% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 653 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
653
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 82% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,582
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 327 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 79.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 5.8%
African American 3.5%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 79.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.3, St James 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 Lincoln County Schools, which includes St James Elementary.
$10,582
Per student
-12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 58.7%
Federal 18.8%
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 St James Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincolnton High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Lincoln Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to St James Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,126
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Denver
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 (~653 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on St James Elementary's federal record.
- Compare St James Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln 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 St James Elementary
How many students attend St James Elementary?
St James Elementary has 653 students enrolled. It is a public school in Denver, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at St James Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at St James Elementary is 18.1:1, which is 15% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at St James Elementary?
24.3% of students at St James Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of St James Elementary?
The largest demographic group at St James Elementary is White at 79.6% of enrollment, in Denver, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for St James Elementary?
St James Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 St James Elementary rank among schools in Denver?
By Resource Investment Index, St James Elementary ranks #3 of 4 schools in Denver, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Denver on the city page.
Is St James Elementary a good school?
St James Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Lincoln County Schools?
Besides St James Elementary, Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students), East Lincoln High (1,047 students), and Lincolnton High (797 students). See the Lincoln 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.