Enrollment
336
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bessemer City, NC
Tryon Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Tryon Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370162000714
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tryon Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Bessemer City · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 98.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Tryon Elementary has class sizes smaller than 73% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tryon Elementary ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Bessemer City, NC.
School address
District: Gaston County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370162000714 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
98.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tryon Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tryon Elementary
Tryon Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Bessemer City, North Carolina, enrolling 336 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 98.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 336 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 410 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #225.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bessemer City's public schools, it stands alongside Bessemer City Primary (445 students): Tryon Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 16.5:1).
Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students) and Hunter Huss High (1,165 students) alongside Tryon 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 Tryon Elementary compares
Tryon 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 15% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 98.5% | ▲ 49% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 336 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
336
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
98.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 27% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
39.3%
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
$11,409
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 336 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.5 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 68.2%
Hispanic or Latino 14.6%
African American 8.6%
Two or More 7.4%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 68.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.1, Tryon 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 Gaston County Schools, which includes Tryon Elementary.
$11,409
Per student
-5%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.3%
State 64.3%
Federal 19.4%
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 Tryon Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashbrook High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hunter Huss High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Gaston High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Point High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tryon Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,386
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,133
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,061
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 989
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar other schools in Bessemer City
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 (~336 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tryon Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Tryon Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Gaston 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 Tryon Elementary
How many students attend Tryon Elementary?
Tryon Elementary has 336 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bessemer City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tryon Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Tryon Elementary is 13.4:1, which is 15% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% 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 Tryon Elementary?
98.5% of students at Tryon Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tryon Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Tryon Elementary is White at 68.2% of enrollment, in Bessemer City, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tryon Elementary?
Tryon Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Tryon Elementary rank among public schools in Bessemer City?
By Resource Investment Index, Tryon Elementary ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Bessemer City, 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 Bessemer City on the city page.
Is Tryon Elementary a good school?
Tryon Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Gaston County Schools?
Besides Tryon Elementary, Gaston County Schools also operates Ashbrook High (1,386 students), Hunter Huss High (1,165 students), and Forestview High (1,133 students). See the Gaston 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.