Enrollment
280
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Elm City, NC
Gardners Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Gardners Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370502001999
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gardners Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Elm City · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.5:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 96.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Gardners Elementary has class sizes larger than 77% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gardners Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Elm City, NC.
School address
District: Wilson County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370502001999 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gardners Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gardners Elementary
Gardners Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Elm City, North Carolina, enrolling 280 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.5:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 96.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 280 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 309 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (36%) and White (35%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 280 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 20.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Elm City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Frederick Douglass Elementary (339 students): Gardners Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.5:1 vs 14.1:1).
Wilson County Schools also operates James Hunt High (1,115 students) and Fike High (1,028 students) alongside Gardners 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 Gardners Elementary compares
Gardners 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 | 17.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.3% | ▲ 46% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 280 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
280
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 77% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,063
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 280 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 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 36.4%
White 35.4%
African American 22.1%
Two or More 6.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 36.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, Gardners Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wilson County Schools, which includes Gardners Elementary.
$12,063
Per student
+0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 58.4%
Federal 20.5%
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 Gardners Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hunt High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fike High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Forest Hills Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beddingfield High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John W Jones Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gardners Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,028
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 654
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 653
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Elm City
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~280 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gardners Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Gardners Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wilson 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 Gardners Elementary
How many students attend Gardners Elementary?
Gardners Elementary has 280 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Elm City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gardners Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Gardners Elementary is 17.5:1, which is 11% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gardners Elementary?
96.3% of students at Gardners Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gardners Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Gardners Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 36.4% of enrollment, in Elm City, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gardners Elementary?
Gardners Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Gardners Elementary rank among public schools in Elm City?
By Resource Investment Index, Gardners Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Elm City, 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 Elm City on the city page.
Is Gardners Elementary a good school?
Gardners Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Wilson County Schools?
Besides Gardners Elementary, Wilson County Schools also operates James Hunt High (1,115 students), Fike High (1,028 students), and Forest Hills Middle (654 students). See the Wilson 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.