Enrollment
549
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Knightdale, NC
Knightdale Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Knightdale Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370472001870
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Knightdale Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Knightdale · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 66.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Knightdale Elementary has class sizes smaller than 84% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Knightdale Elementary ranks #3 of 4 schools in Knightdale, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472001870 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Knightdale Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Knightdale Elementary
Knightdale Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Knightdale, North Carolina, enrolling 549 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 66.9% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 549 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 397 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #93.
Its student body is led by African American (42%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 275 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data 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 Knightdale's public schools, it stands alongside Forestville Road Elementary (570 students): Knightdale Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.5:1 vs 13.3:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Knightdale 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 Knightdale Elementary compares
Knightdale 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 21% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.9% | ▲ 1% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 549 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
549
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 16% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.4%
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 275 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
28
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 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 41.5%
Hispanic or Latino 32.8%
White 14.8%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 41.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.2, Knightdale 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 Knightdale 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 Knightdale 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Knightdale 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 Knightdale
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~549 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Knightdale Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Knightdale 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 Knightdale Elementary
How many students attend Knightdale Elementary?
Knightdale Elementary has 549 students enrolled. It is a public school in Knightdale, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Knightdale Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Knightdale Elementary is 12.5:1, which is 21% 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 Knightdale Elementary?
66.9% of students at Knightdale Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Knightdale Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Knightdale Elementary is African American at 41.5% of enrollment, in Knightdale, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Knightdale Elementary?
Knightdale Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Knightdale Elementary rank among schools in Knightdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Knightdale Elementary ranks #3 of 4 schools in Knightdale, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Knightdale on the city page.
Is Knightdale Elementary a good school?
Knightdale Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Knightdale 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.