Enrollment
559
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sanford, NC
Tramway Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Tramway Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370256002391
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 44
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tramway Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 9
- elementary schools in Sanford · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.6:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Tramway Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tramway Elementary ranks #3 of 9 elementary schools in Sanford, NC.
School address
District: Lee County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370256002391 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tramway Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tramway Elementary
Tramway Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Sanford, North Carolina, enrolling 559 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 559 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 431 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #234.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 559 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 23.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Sanford's elementary schools, it stands alongside Highland Elementary (854 students): Tramway Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.6:1 vs 14:1).
Lee County Schools also operates Lee County High (1,459 students) and Southern Lee High School (1,180 students) alongside Tramway 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 Tramway Elementary compares
Tramway 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 | 13.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 37% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 559 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
559
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 30% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,250
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.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 559 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 54.4%
Hispanic or Latino 28.6%
African American 12.5%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 54.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, Tramway 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 Lee County Schools, which includes Tramway Elementary.
$12,250
Per student
+2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.8%
State 59.9%
Federal 23.3%
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 Tramway Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern Lee High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sanlee Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wb Wicker Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| J Glenn Edwards Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tramway Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,459
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary schools in Sanford
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Highland Elementary
Standard public school
854 students 14:1 students per teacher
Wb Wicker Elementary
Standard public school
588 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
J Glenn Edwards Elementary
Standard public school
587 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Greenwood Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Deep River Elementary
Standard public school
557 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Bt Bullock Elementary
Standard public school
511 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~559 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tramway Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Tramway Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lee 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 Tramway Elementary
How many students attend Tramway Elementary?
Tramway Elementary has 559 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sanford, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tramway Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Tramway Elementary is 13.6:1, which is 14% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 13% 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 Tramway Elementary?
41.7% of students at Tramway Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tramway Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Tramway Elementary is White at 54.4% of enrollment, in Sanford, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tramway Elementary?
Tramway Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Tramway Elementary rank among elementary schools in Sanford?
By Resource Investment Index, Tramway Elementary ranks #3 of 9 elementary schools in Sanford, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Sanford on the city page.
Is Tramway Elementary a good school?
Tramway Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Lee County Schools?
Besides Tramway Elementary, Lee County Schools also operates Lee County High (1,459 students), Southern Lee High School (1,180 students), and Sanlee Middle School (792 students). See the Lee 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.