Enrollment
494
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Siler City, NC
Virginia Cross Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Virginia Cross Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370075002815
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 2
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Virginia Cross Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% of North Carolina schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Siler City · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 87.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Virginia Cross Elementary has class sizes smaller than 78% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Virginia Cross Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Siler City, NC.
School address
District: Chatham County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370075002815 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.7%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Virginia Cross Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Virginia Cross Elementary
Virginia Cross Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Siler City, North Carolina, enrolling 494 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 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 87.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 494 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.
Among 624 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #497, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and African American (20%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 494 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Siler City's public schools, it stands alongside Chatham Charter (591 students): Virginia Cross Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 14.8:1).
Chatham County Schools also operates Seaforth High (1,088 students) and Jordan Matthews High (848 students) alongside Virginia Cross 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 Virginia Cross Elementary compares
Virginia Cross 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.7% | ▲ 33% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 494 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
494
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 22% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.1%
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
$13,461
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 494 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 69.6%
African American 20.0%
White 6.9%
Two or More 3.2%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.0, Virginia Cross 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 Chatham County Schools, which includes Virginia Cross Elementary.
$13,461
Per student
+12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 46.9%
Federal 14.8%
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 Virginia Cross Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaforth High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jordan Matthews High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Margaret B. Pollard Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chatham Grove Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwood High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Virginia Cross Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 27.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Siler City
3 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 (~494 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Virginia Cross Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Virginia Cross Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chatham 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 Virginia Cross Elementary
How many students attend Virginia Cross Elementary?
Virginia Cross Elementary has 494 students enrolled. It is a public school in Siler City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Virginia Cross Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Virginia Cross Elementary is 13:1, which is 18% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 17% 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 Virginia Cross Elementary?
87.7% of students at Virginia Cross Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Virginia Cross Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Virginia Cross Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 69.6% of enrollment, in Siler City, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Virginia Cross Elementary?
Virginia Cross Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Virginia Cross Elementary rank among schools in Siler City?
By Resource Investment Index, Virginia Cross Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Siler City, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Siler City on the city page.
Is Virginia Cross Elementary a good school?
Virginia Cross Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Chatham County Schools?
Besides Virginia Cross Elementary, Chatham County Schools also operates Seaforth High (1,088 students), Jordan Matthews High (848 students), and Margaret B. Pollard Middle (736 students). See the Chatham 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.