Enrollment
634
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wake Forest, NC
Heritage Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Heritage Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370472002038
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Heritage Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 6
- schools in Wake Forest · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 27.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Heritage Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage Elementary ranks #2 of 6 schools in Wake Forest, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472002038 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Heritage Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Heritage Elementary
Heritage Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Wake Forest, North Carolina, enrolling 634 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 27.2% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 634 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 292 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #72.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Wake Forest's public schools, it stands alongside Wake Preparatory Academy (2,617 students): Heritage Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Heritage 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 Heritage Elementary compares
Heritage 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.2% | ▼ 59% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 634 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
634
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 36% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.2%
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
$11,859
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 56.5%
African American 18.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.0%
Asian 6.3%
Two or More 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.9, Heritage 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 Wake County Schools, which includes Heritage Elementary.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 Heritage Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Heritage Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Wake Forest
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Wake Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
2,617 students
Franklin Academy
Standard public school
1,660 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Casa Esperanza Montessori Charter School
Standard public school
752 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Jones Dairy Elementary
Standard public school
627 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Richland Creek Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Wake Forest Elementary
Standard public school
444 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~634 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Heritage Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Heritage Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wake 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 Heritage Elementary
How many students attend Heritage Elementary?
Heritage Elementary has 634 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wake Forest, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Heritage Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Heritage Elementary is 14.1:1, which is 11% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 10% 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 Heritage Elementary?
27.2% of students at Heritage Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Heritage Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Heritage Elementary is White at 56.5% of enrollment, in Wake Forest, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Heritage Elementary?
Heritage Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Heritage Elementary rank among schools in Wake Forest?
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage Elementary ranks #2 of 6 schools in Wake Forest, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wake Forest on the city page.
Is Heritage Elementary a good school?
Heritage Elementary earns 48/100 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Heritage Elementary, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake 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.