Enrollment
222
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Goldston, NC
J S Waters School
Federal NCES profile for J S Waters School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370075000310
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
J S Waters School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 56.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 222
- students enrolled
J S Waters School has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Chatham County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370075000310 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+1% 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
What stands out at J S Waters School
J S Waters School is a higher-need, small elementary school in Goldston, North Carolina, enrolling 222 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.0% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 222 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 154 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #88.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 222 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Chatham County Schools also operates Seaforth High (1,088 students) and Jordan Matthews High (848 students) alongside J S Waters School.
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 J S Waters School compares
J S Waters School 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.0% | ▼ 15% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 222 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
222
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 61% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.9%
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
$13,461
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat 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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 53.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.6, J S Waters School is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chatham County Schools, which includes J S Waters School.
$13,461
Per student
+12%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How J S Waters School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaforth High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jordan Matthews High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Margaret B. Pollard Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chatham Grove Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northwood High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to J S Waters School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 27.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 683
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~222 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on J S Waters School's federal record.
- Compare J S Waters School against another school. Compare schools
- Chatham 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 J S Waters School
How many students attend J S Waters School?
J S Waters School has 222 students enrolled. It is an 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 15.9:1, which is 1% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, in Goldston, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J S Waters School?
J S Waters School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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).
Is J S Waters School a good school?
J S Waters School earns 45/100 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 Chatham County Schools?
Besides J S Waters School, Chatham County Schools also operates Seaforth High (1,088 students), Jordan Matthews High (848 students), and Margaret B. Pollard Middle (736 students). See the Chatham 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.