Enrollment
870
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Selma, NC
Thanksgiving Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Thanksgiving Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370237003577
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thanksgiving Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Selma · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 41.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Thanksgiving 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, Thanksgiving Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Selma, NC.
School address
District: Johnston County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370237003577 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thanksgiving Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thanksgiving Elementary
Thanksgiving Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Selma, North Carolina, enrolling 870 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 870 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 404 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #241.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 870 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Selma's public schools, it stands alongside Selma Elementary (794 students): Thanksgiving Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.1:1 vs 11.3:1).
Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students) and Clayton High (1,929 students) alongside Thanksgiving 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 Thanksgiving Elementary compares
Thanksgiving 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 | 41.2% | ▼ 38% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 870 | top 14% | - | - |
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.
870
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% below 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
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
19.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,788
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 870 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.8 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 52.9%
Hispanic or Latino 22.2%
African American 17.4%
Two or More 6.0%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 52.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, Thanksgiving Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Johnston County Public Schools, which includes Thanksgiving Elementary.
$10,788
Per student
-10%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.7%
State 62.2%
Federal 17.1%
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 Thanksgiving Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corinth Holders High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clayton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cleveland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Johnston High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smithfield-Selma High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thanksgiving Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,187
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,929
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,889
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,563
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,548
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Selma
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 (~870 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thanksgiving Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Thanksgiving Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Johnston County Public 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 Thanksgiving Elementary
How many students attend Thanksgiving Elementary?
Thanksgiving Elementary has 870 students enrolled. It is a public school in Selma, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thanksgiving Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Thanksgiving 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 Thanksgiving Elementary?
41.2% of students at Thanksgiving Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thanksgiving Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Thanksgiving Elementary is White at 52.9% of enrollment, in Selma, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thanksgiving Elementary?
Thanksgiving Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Thanksgiving Elementary rank among public schools in Selma?
By Resource Investment Index, Thanksgiving Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Selma, 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 Selma on the city page.
Is Thanksgiving Elementary a good school?
Thanksgiving Elementary earns 37/100 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 Johnston County Public Schools?
Besides Thanksgiving Elementary, Johnston County Public Schools also operates Corinth Holders High (2,187 students), Clayton High (1,929 students), and Cleveland High (1,889 students). See the Johnston County Public 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.