Enrollment
379
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Washington, NC
John Small Elementary
Federal NCES profile for John Small Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370033001924
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 14
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Small Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of North Carolina schools.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Washington · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.3%
- free-lunch eligible
John Small Elementary has class sizes smaller than 83% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John Small Elementary ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Washington, NC.
School address
District: Beaufort County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370033001924 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John Small Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at John Small Elementary
John Small Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Washington, North Carolina, enrolling 379 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 379 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 480 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #187.
Its student body is led by African American (46%) and White (27%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 108 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 379 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Washington's elementary schools, it stands alongside John C Tayloe Elementary (382 students): John Small Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.6:1 vs 10.6:1).
Beaufort County Schools also operates Washington High (794 students) and P S Jones Middle (659 students) alongside John Small 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 John Small Elementary compares
John Small 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.3% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 379 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
379
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.3%
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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 17% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.3%
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
$14,227
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 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
77
in-school suspensions + 31 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.5 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
African American 45.6%
White 26.9%
Hispanic or Latino 21.4%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 45.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, John Small 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 Beaufort County Schools, which includes John Small Elementary.
$14,227
Per student
+18%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 53.5%
Federal 25.4%
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.
How John Small Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| P S Jones Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bath Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastern Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chocowinity Primary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John Small Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 794
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 511
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 484
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Washington
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~379 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Small Elementary's federal record.
- Compare John Small Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Beaufort 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 John Small Elementary
How many students attend John Small Elementary?
John Small Elementary has 379 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Washington, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John Small Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at John Small Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 20% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 20% 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 John Small Elementary?
99.3% of students at John Small Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John Small Elementary?
The largest demographic group at John Small Elementary is African American at 45.6% of enrollment, in Washington, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Small Elementary?
John Small Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 John Small Elementary rank among public schools in Washington?
By Resource Investment Index, John Small Elementary ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Washington, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Washington on the city page.
Is John Small Elementary a good school?
John Small Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of North Carolina schools. 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 Beaufort County Schools?
Besides John Small Elementary, Beaufort County Schools also operates Washington High (794 students), P S Jones Middle (659 students), and Bath Elementary (511 students). See the Beaufort 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.