Enrollment
31
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lillington, NC
Star Academy
Federal NCES profile for Star Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 71/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370201002117
👥 S:T ratio 89
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 94
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Star Academy earns 71/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Lillington · Resource Index
- 71
- Resource Index · Higher
- 2.8:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 83.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Star Academy has class sizes smaller than 99% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Star Academy ranks #1 of 4 schools in Lillington, NC.
School address
District: Harnett County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370201002117 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
2.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-82% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Star Academy compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Star Academy
Star Academy is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Lillington, North Carolina, enrolling 31 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 2.8:1, Star Academy is leaner than roughly 99% of North Carolina schools and 82% 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 83.3% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of North Carolina schools, with 31 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 22 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #6.
Its student body is led by African American (68%) and White (19%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 31 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 24.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 93 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 31 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lillington's public schools, it stands alongside Lillington-Shawtown Elementary (695 students): Star Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (2.8:1 vs 13.6:1).
Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students) and Harnett Central High (1,522 students) alongside Star Academy.
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 Star Academy compares
Star Academy 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 | 2.8:1 | ▼ 82% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.3% | ▲ 26% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 31 | top 99% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
2.8:1
Leaner classes than 100% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
31
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
2.8:1
students per teacher
- 82% below state mean
Top 1% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$11,026
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 31 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 93 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 300.0 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
African American 67.7%
White 19.4%
Two or More 12.9%
Largest group: African American at 67.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.7, Star Academy is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Harnett County Schools, which includes Star Academy.
$11,026
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 13.4%
State 62.0%
Federal 24.6%
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 Star Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harnett Central High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Western Harnett High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Triton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benhaven Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Star Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,981
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,522
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,324
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,274
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,065
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Lillington
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 (~31 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~2.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Star Academy's federal record.
- Compare Star Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Harnett 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 Star Academy
How many students attend Star Academy?
Star Academy has 31 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Lillington, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Star Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Star Academy is 2.8:1, which is 82% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 82% 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 Star Academy?
83.3% of students at Star Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Star Academy?
The largest demographic group at Star Academy is African American at 67.7% of enrollment, in Lillington, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Star Academy?
Star Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 71/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Star Academy rank among schools in Lillington?
By Resource Investment Index, Star Academy ranks #1 of 4 schools in Lillington, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lillington on the city page.
Is Star Academy a good school?
Star Academy earns 71/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. 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 Harnett County Schools?
Besides Star Academy, Harnett County Schools also operates Overhills High (1,981 students), Harnett Central High (1,522 students), and Western Harnett High (1,324 students). See the Harnett 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.