Enrollment
222
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 370075000310
J S Waters School — Goldston, NC
Federal NCES profile for J S Waters School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 47/100.
👥 Class size 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 18
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 →
School address
District: Chatham County 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.
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J S Waters School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
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 S Waters School reports 222 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 14.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% 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 13% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 56.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 15% below the North Carolina average and 8% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 222 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 32.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Chatham County Schools spends $15,369 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 38.4% from local sources (property taxes), 46.9% from the state, and 14.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D), 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 S Waters School 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 16% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.0% | ▼ 15% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 222 | top 14% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 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
56.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 15% below 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
— 16% below state mean
Top 30% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
32.9%
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
$15,369
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 222 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 222 Top 14% in North Carolina — larger than 86% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 14.0
Students per teacher 13.8:1 -16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 56.0% -15% vs state
NCES ID 370075000310
Student demographics
White 64.9%
Hispanic or Latino 15.8%
African American 10.8%
Two or More 8.1%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 64.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 222:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 32.9%
In-school suspensions 17
Out-of-school suspensions 19
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chatham County Schools, which includes J S Waters School.
$15,369
Per student
+18%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 38.4%
State 46.9%
Federal 14.8%
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
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
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 S Waters School
How many students attend J S Waters School?
J S Waters School has 222 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Goldston, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J S Waters School?
The student-teacher ratio at J S Waters School is 13.8:1, which is 16% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 13% 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 S Waters School?
56.0% of students at J S Waters School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J S Waters School?
The largest demographic group at J S Waters School is White at 64.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Goldston, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J S Waters School?
J S Waters School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D) 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.