2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 370354001455

J C Sawyer Elementary — Elizabeth City, NC

Federal NCES profile for J C Sawyer Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 33/100.

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0/100100/10033/100
👥 Class size
43
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
20
📋 Attendance
0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →

The verdict

J C Sawyer Elementary earns an F Resource Investment Index (33/100), with class sizes near the North Carolina median.

F
Resource Index · 33/100
14.2:1
students per teacher
99.2%
free-lunch eligible
400
students enrolled

School address

Elizabeth City, NC 27909
District: Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools · North Carolina

Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.

Enrollment

400

North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

26.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

14.2:1

vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg

-13% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

99.2%

vs 66.0% North Carolina avg

+50% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How J C Sawyer Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median
0:135:114.2:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.

What this school's NCES data tells you

J C Sawyer Elementary reports 400 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 13% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 99.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 50% above the North Carolina average and 92% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 400 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 45.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools spends $13,578 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 18.8% from local sources (property taxes), 61.8% from the state, and 19.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How J C Sawyer Elementary compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs North Carolina North Carolina avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 14.2:1 ▼ 13% 16.4:1 15.9:1
Free-lunch eligible 99.2% ▲ 50% 66.0% 51.8%
Enrollment 400 top 36% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

14 smaller classes than 57% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). This entry sits in this band. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). Above this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

400 larger than 47% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). This entry sits in this band. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

What the federal data reveals about equity at this school

Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.

Economic need
99.2%
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
14.2:1
students per teacher — 13% below state mean
Top 36% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
45.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,578
per pupil, district-wide — above North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 400 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 64 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.

Overview

Enrollment 400 Top 36% in North Carolina — larger than 64% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 14.2:1 -13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 99.2% +50% vs state
NCES ID 370354001455

Student demographics

African American 48.0%
White 26.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.8%
Two or More 7.0%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%

Largest group: African American at 48.0% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 400:1

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 45.3%
In-school suspensions 15
Out-of-school suspensions 64
Expulsions 1

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools, which includes J C Sawyer Elementary.

$13,578
Per student
+4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 18.8%
State 61.8%
Federal 19.4%

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.

Other Schools in This District

Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Public Schools · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Elizabeth City

5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Central Elementary
Standard public school
484 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Northside Elementary
Standard public school
419 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
P W Moore Elementary
Standard public school
353 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Weeksville Elementary
Standard public school
304 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Pasquotank Elementary
Standard public school
270 students 12.9:1 students per teacher

Educator & family resources

In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.

Understanding NCES data

How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.

Choose a school district

Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.

How schools are funded

Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.

Chronic absenteeism

Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.

Magnet vs charter vs traditional

Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.

School discipline data

What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.

Frequently asked questions about J C Sawyer Elementary

How many students attend J C Sawyer Elementary?

J C Sawyer Elementary has 400 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Elizabeth City, NC.

What is the student-teacher ratio at J C Sawyer Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at J C Sawyer Elementary is 14.2:1, which is 13% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at J C Sawyer Elementary?

99.2% of students at J C Sawyer Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J C Sawyer Elementary?

The largest demographic group at J C Sawyer Elementary is African American at 48.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Elizabeth City, NC.

What is the Resource Investment Index for J C Sawyer Elementary?

J C Sawyer Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov