Enrollment
646
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370225000806
Upchurch Elementary — Raeford, NC
Federal NCES profile for Upchurch Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 31/100.
👥 Class size 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 19
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 →
The verdict
Upchurch Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (31/100), with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- F
- Resource Index · 31/100
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 99.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 646
- students enrolled
School address
District: Hoke 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)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Upchurch 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
Upchurch Elementary reports 646 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 44.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% 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 0% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 99.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 51% above the North Carolina average and 92% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 646 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 32.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hoke County Schools spends $12,029 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 9.6% from local sources (property taxes), 65.9% from the state, and 24.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Upchurch 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 3% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.6% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 646 | top 70% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
16 smaller classes than 40% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
646 larger than 76% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
99.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 51% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
— 3% below state mean
Top 62% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
32.2%
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
$12,029
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 646 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 646 Top 70% in North Carolina — larger than 30% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 44.0
Students per teacher 15.9:1 -3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 99.6% +51% vs state
NCES ID 370225000806
Student demographics
African American 42.9%
Hispanic or Latino 29.1%
White 13.8%
Two or More 11.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.7%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 42.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 646:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 32.2%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 35
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hoke County Schools, which includes Upchurch Elementary.
$12,029
Per student
-8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 9.6%
State 65.9%
Federal 24.5%
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
- 2,110
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Enrollment
- 656
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 611
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
Similar other schools in Raeford
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Don D Steed Elementary
Standard public school
628 students 13:1 students per teacher
Scurlock Elementary
Standard public school
611 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Rockfish Hoke Elementary
Standard public school
606 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
West Hoke Elementary
Standard public school
467 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
J W Turlington School
Alternative education program
26 students 11.4:1 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 Upchurch Elementary
How many students attend Upchurch Elementary?
Upchurch Elementary has 646 students enrolled. It is a other school in Raeford, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Upchurch Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Upchurch Elementary is 15.9:1, which is 3% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 0% higher 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 Upchurch Elementary?
99.6% of students at Upchurch Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Upchurch Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Upchurch Elementary is African American at 42.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Raeford, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Upchurch Elementary?
Upchurch Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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.