Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 56 schools in district

Costner Elementary

353 Old 277 Loop Hwy, Dallas, NC 28034Gaston County Schools →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades PK–05Non-Charter
485
Students
Total enrolled
$11,856
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 17% vs nat'l
17.2 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↑ 12% vs nat'l
33/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 34% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 485 students in grades PK–05 in Dallas, North Carolina.
17% below average funding
District spends $11,856 per pupil, 17% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 33th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Costner Elementary is a mid-sized elementary in Dallas, North Carolina, serving grades PK–05 with 485 students. The district invests $11,856 per student — 17% below the national average of $14,347, with a 17.2:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 63% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 33/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Costner Elementary

485
Total Students
17.2 : 1
Student:Teacher
63%
Free Lunch
28
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (PK–05) are served by this school
Gender Distribution243 male · 242 female
50%
50%
Male 50%Female 50%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility63%
National avg 52% · 304 students
Student Composition
62%
15%
17%
White62%
Hispanic / Latino15%
Black17%
Multiracial6%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 370162000678

Academic Outcomes at Costner Elementary

Neighborhood Opportunity Score
33
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 33th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 5th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 28034

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$11,856Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$11,856
State avg
$13,042
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,217
Student Support$2,253
Administration$1,423
Operations$1,778
Other$1,186
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $11,856 spent per student, an estimated $5,252 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
64%
16%
State government
64.3%
Local (property tax)
16.3%
Federal programs
19.4%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (33/100) — national median is 50
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Pleasant Ridge ElementaryBelmont Central ElementaryCarr ElementaryW A Bess Elementary School
+7 more
↓
Middle
Cramerton MiddleSouthwest MiddleHolbrook MiddleBelmont Middle
+5 more
↓
High School
Ashbrook HighNorth Gaston HighHunter Huss HighForestview High
+6 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelElementary
GradesPK – 05
Location—
CountyGaston County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictGaston County Schools →
Phone: (704)922-3522
NCES ID: 370162000678
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Dallas seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Gaston County Schools
High
Ashbrook High
1,303 students · 09–12
● 38 opp72% FRL
High
North Gaston High
1,134 students · 09–12
● 33 opp63% FRL
High
Hunter Huss High
1,120 students · 09–12
● 37 opp80% FRL
High
Forestview High
1,081 students · 09–12
● 35 opp47% FRL
High
Stuart W Cramer High
964 students · 09–12
45% FRL
High
South Point High
955 students · 09–12
32% FRL
Mid
Cramerton Middle
909 students · 06–08
● 41 opp39% FRL
High
East Gaston High
883 students · 09–12
48% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
353 Old 277 Loop Hwy, Dallas, NC 28034
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.