Enrollment
490
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waynesville, NC
Hazelwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hazelwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370204000902
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hazelwood Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Waynesville · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 99.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Hazelwood Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hazelwood Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Waynesville, NC.
School address
District: Haywood County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370204000902 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hazelwood Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hazelwood Elementary
Hazelwood Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waynesville, North Carolina, enrolling 490 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.4% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 490 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 564 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #382.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 490 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
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 Waynesville's public schools, it stands alongside Shining Rock Classical Academy (616 students): Hazelwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14:1 vs 13.1:1).
Haywood County Schools also operates Tuscola High (873 students) and Pisgah High (859 students) alongside Hazelwood 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 Hazelwood Elementary compares
Hazelwood 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 490 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
490
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 35% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.7%
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
$12,690
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 490 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 80.6%
Hispanic or Latino 14.3%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 80.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.9, Hazelwood Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Haywood County Schools, which includes Hazelwood Elementary.
$12,690
Per student
+6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.5%
State 54.0%
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 Hazelwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscola High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pisgah High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waynesville Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bethel Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Clyde Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hazelwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 873
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 859
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Waynesville
2 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 (~490 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hazelwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hazelwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Haywood 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 Hazelwood Elementary
How many students attend Hazelwood Elementary?
Hazelwood Elementary has 490 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waynesville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hazelwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hazelwood Elementary is 14:1, which is 11% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 11% 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 Hazelwood Elementary?
99.4% of students at Hazelwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hazelwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hazelwood Elementary is White at 80.6% of enrollment, in Waynesville, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hazelwood Elementary?
Hazelwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Hazelwood Elementary rank among schools in Waynesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Hazelwood Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Waynesville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waynesville on the city page.
Is Hazelwood Elementary a good school?
Hazelwood Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Haywood County Schools?
Besides Hazelwood Elementary, Haywood County Schools also operates Tuscola High (873 students), Pisgah High (859 students), and Waynesville Middle (727 students). See the Haywood 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.