Enrollment
530
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Valdese, NC
Valdese Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Valdese Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370048000193
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valdese Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Valdese · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 62.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Valdese Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valdese Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Valdese, NC.
School address
District: Burke County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370048000193 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valdese Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valdese Elementary
Valdese Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Valdese, North Carolina, enrolling 530 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.0% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 530 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 475 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #321.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (8%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 530 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students) and East Burke High (874 students) alongside Valdese 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 Valdese Elementary compares
Valdese 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.0% | ▼ 6% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 530 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
530
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 69% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$11,845
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 530 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
25
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 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 79.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
Asian 4.7%
Two or More 4.5%
African American 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 79.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.5, Valdese 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 Burke County Schools, which includes Valdese Elementary.
$11,845
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.2%
State 61.7%
Federal 23.1%
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 Valdese Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Burke High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robert L. Patton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jimmy C Draughn High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valdese Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,299
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~530 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valdese Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Valdese Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Burke 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 Valdese Elementary
How many students attend Valdese Elementary?
Valdese Elementary has 530 students enrolled. It is a public school in Valdese, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valdese Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Valdese Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 5% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valdese Elementary?
62.0% of students at Valdese Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valdese Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Valdese Elementary is White at 79.6% of enrollment, in Valdese, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valdese Elementary?
Valdese Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Valdese Elementary rank among public schools in Valdese?
By Resource Investment Index, Valdese Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Valdese, 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 Valdese on the city page.
Is Valdese Elementary a good school?
Valdese Elementary earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Burke County Schools?
Besides Valdese Elementary, Burke County Schools also operates Freedom High (1,299 students), East Burke High (874 students), and Mountain View Elementary (762 students). See the Burke 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.