Enrollment
342
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Vale, NC
Union Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Union Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370268001123
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Union Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Vale · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 49.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Union Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Union Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Vale, NC.
School address
District: Lincoln County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370268001123 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Union Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Union Elementary
Union Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Vale, North Carolina, enrolling 342 students.
At 15.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 342 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 289 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #60.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 342 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Vale's public schools, it stands alongside North Brook Elementary (344 students): Union Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.5:1 vs 13.8:1).
Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students) and East Lincoln High (1,047 students) alongside Union 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 Union Elementary compares
Union 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 | 15.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.2% | ▼ 25% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 342 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
342
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 56% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,582
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 342 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 90.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Two or More 4.1%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 90.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.6, Union 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 Lincoln County Schools, which includes Union Elementary.
$10,582
Per student
-12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.4%
State 58.7%
Federal 18.8%
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 Union Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Lincoln High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincolnton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Lincoln Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Lincoln Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Union Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,126
- Students per teacher
- 24:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,047
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 774
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 738
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Vale
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 (~342 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Union Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Union Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lincoln 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 Union Elementary
How many students attend Union Elementary?
Union Elementary has 342 students enrolled. It is a public school in Vale, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Union Elementary is 15.5:1, which is 2% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% 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 Union Elementary?
49.2% of students at Union Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Union Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Union Elementary is White at 90.6% of enrollment, in Vale, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Union Elementary?
Union Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Union Elementary rank among public schools in Vale?
By Resource Investment Index, Union Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Vale, 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 Vale on the city page.
Is Union Elementary a good school?
Union Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Lincoln County Schools?
Besides Union Elementary, Lincoln County Schools also operates North Lincoln High (1,126 students), East Lincoln High (1,047 students), and Lincolnton High (797 students). See the Lincoln 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.