Poplin Elementary

Set in Indian Trail, North Carolina, Poplin Elementary is an expansive elementary campus, overseen by Union County Public Schools. It serves 756 students across grades K through 5. By comparison, North Carolina's public schools average about 467 students each, so Poplin Elementary sits 62% above that benchmark.

Across the 52 schools in Union County Public Schools (41,272 students total), Poplin Elementary accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, Poplin Elementary reports that White students make up the majority at 57%; the rest reads as 17% Hispanic, 14% Black, 7% multiracial, 4% Asian. That is meaningfully less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 69%.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Poplin Elementary has 51 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 15.0:1. The state averages about 14.9:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 36% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, Poplin Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 68.0% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 77.2%.

In the area at large, Union County reports that median household income runs about $102,900, about 41% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 6%. In all, Union County runs 58 public schools (combined enrollment of about 45,934 students), of which Poplin Elementary is one.

Porter Ridge Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 1.5 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Poplin Elementary at 2nd of 8; the average score across the group is 63.4%.

Geographically, the school is in an outlying area.

Over the past 7-year window. Poplin Elementary's enrollment has held roughly steady since 2018, when it stood at 752 (now 756). White enrollment moved from 65% to 57% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 16.4:1 in 2018 to 15.0:1 today.

On the community side, members of the Poplin Elementary community share and discuss pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.