Enrollment
415
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370210002996
Sugarloaf Elementary — Hendersonville, NC
Federal NCES profile for Sugarloaf Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 33/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 3
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Henderson County Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sugarloaf Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Sugarloaf Elementary reports 415 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 29.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 73.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 12% above the North Carolina average and 42% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 415 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 38.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Henderson County Schools spends $12,094 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 21.8% from local sources (property taxes), 58.3% from the state, and 19.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Sugarloaf Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 13% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.8% | ▲ 12% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 415 | top 39% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
73.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 12% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 13% below state mean
Top 38% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
38.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,094
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 415 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 415 Top 39% in North Carolina — larger than 61% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 29.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 -13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 73.8% +12% vs state
NCES ID 370210002996
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 47.2%
White 36.1%
Two or More 8.4%
African American 4.6%
Asian 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 415:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 38.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 2
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Henderson County Schools, which includes Sugarloaf Elementary.
$12,094
Per student
-7%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 21.8%
State 58.3%
Federal 19.9%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Enrollment
- 1,052
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 849
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 820
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
Similar other schools in Hendersonville
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Bruce Drysdale Elementary
Standard public school
473 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Clear Creek Elementary
Standard public school
435 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Edneyville Elementary
Standard public school
405 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Dana Elementary
Standard public school
403 students 14:1 students per teacher
Atkinson Elementary
Standard public school
288 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Sugarloaf Elementary
How many students attend Sugarloaf Elementary?
Sugarloaf Elementary has 415 students enrolled. It is a other school in Hendersonville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sugarloaf Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sugarloaf Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 13% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sugarloaf Elementary?
73.8% of students at Sugarloaf Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sugarloaf Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sugarloaf Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 47.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in Hendersonville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sugarloaf Elementary?
Sugarloaf Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.