Enrollment
439
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Auburn, AL
Cary Woods Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cary Woods Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010021000039
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cary Woods Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Auburn · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 36.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cary Woods Elementary School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cary Woods Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Auburn, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cary Woods Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cary Woods Elementary School
Cary Woods Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Auburn, Alabama, enrolling 439 students.
At 16.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 36.9% free-meal eligibility runs 37% below the Alabama average.
With 439 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 221 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #143.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 439 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Auburn's public schools, it stands alongside Auburn Junior High School (1,491 students): Cary Woods Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.9:1 vs 25.3:1).
Auburn City also operates Auburn High School (2,227 students) and Auburn Junior High School (1,491 students) alongside Cary Woods Elementary School.
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 Cary Woods Elementary School compares
Cary Woods Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▼ 5% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▼ 37% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 439 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
439
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 42% in Alabama - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,977
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
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 439 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 43.7%
African American 20.5%
Hispanic or Latino 17.3%
Asian 11.2%
Two or More 6.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 43.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.0, Cary Woods Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Auburn City, which includes Cary Woods Elementary School.
$10,977
Per student
-12%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.7%
State 41.9%
Federal 6.4%
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 Cary Woods Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Auburn Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Samford School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Drake Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ogletree Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cary Woods Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,227
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,491
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Auburn
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 Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~439 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cary Woods Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cary Woods Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Auburn City'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 Cary Woods Elementary School
How many students attend Cary Woods Elementary School?
Cary Woods Elementary School has 439 students enrolled. It is a public school in Auburn, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cary Woods Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cary Woods Elementary School is 16.9:1, which is 5% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 8% higher 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 Cary Woods Elementary School?
36.9% of students at Cary Woods Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cary Woods Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cary Woods Elementary School is White at 43.7% of enrollment, in Auburn, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cary Woods Elementary School?
Cary Woods Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Cary Woods Elementary School rank among schools in Auburn?
By Resource Investment Index, Cary Woods Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Auburn, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Auburn on the city page.
Is Cary Woods Elementary School a good school?
Cary Woods Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama 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 Auburn City?
Besides Cary Woods Elementary School, Auburn City also operates Auburn High School (2,227 students), Auburn Junior High School (1,491 students), and East Samford School (733 students). See the Auburn City 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.