Enrollment
379
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Norwood, NC
Aquadale Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Aquadale Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370432001707
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aquadale Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Norwood · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Aquadale Elementary has class sizes smaller than 72% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aquadale Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Norwood, NC.
School address
District: Stanly County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370432001707 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aquadale Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aquadale Elementary
Aquadale Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Norwood, North Carolina, enrolling 379 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.5:1 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 99.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 379 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 480 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #109.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and African American (13%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Norwood's public schools, it stands alongside Stanly County Virtual Education (56 students): Aquadale Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount.
Stanly County Schools also operates West Stanly High (800 students) and West Stanly Middle School (662 students) alongside Aquadale 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 Aquadale Elementary compares
Aquadale 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 15% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.1% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 379 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
379
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 28% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.4%
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
$11,496
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 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 64.4%
African American 12.7%
Two or More 9.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Asian 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 64.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.1, Aquadale Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Stanly County Schools, which includes Aquadale Elementary.
$11,496
Per student
-4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.7%
State 60.2%
Federal 21.1%
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 Aquadale Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Stanly High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Stanly Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Stanly High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Locust Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aquadale Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 800
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 525
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Norwood
1 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 (~379 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aquadale Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Aquadale Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Stanly 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 Aquadale Elementary
How many students attend Aquadale Elementary?
Aquadale Elementary has 379 students enrolled. It is a public school in Norwood, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aquadale Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Aquadale Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 15% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 14% 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 Aquadale Elementary?
99.1% of students at Aquadale Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Aquadale Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Aquadale Elementary is White at 64.4% of enrollment, in Norwood, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aquadale Elementary?
Aquadale Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Aquadale Elementary rank among public schools in Norwood?
By Resource Investment Index, Aquadale Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Norwood, 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 Norwood on the city page.
Is Aquadale Elementary a good school?
Aquadale Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Stanly County Schools?
Besides Aquadale Elementary, Stanly County Schools also operates West Stanly High (800 students), West Stanly Middle School (662 students), and North Stanly High (568 students). See the Stanly 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.