Enrollment
355
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Wilmington, NC
Mary C Williams Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mary C Williams Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370333001382
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary C Williams Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of North Carolina schools.
- #18 of 24
- elementary schools in Wilmington · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.5:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 97.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary C Williams Elementary has class sizes smaller than 90% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary C Williams Elementary ranks #18 of 24 elementary schools in Wilmington, NC.
School address
District: New Hanover County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370333001382 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary C Williams Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary C Williams Elementary
Mary C Williams Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Wilmington, North Carolina, enrolling 355 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.5:1, Mary C Williams Elementary is leaner than roughly 90% of North Carolina schools and 27% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 97.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 355 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 450 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #147.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and White (39%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 355 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Wilmington's elementary schools, it stands alongside Porters Neck Elementary (666 students): Mary C Williams Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.5:1 vs 16.6:1).
New Hanover County Schools also operates Emsley a Laney High (2,243 students) and John T Hoggard High (2,082 students) alongside Mary C Williams 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 Mary C Williams Elementary compares
Mary C Williams 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 27% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.5% | ▲ 48% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 355 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
355
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 10% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
34.6%
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
$13,724
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 355 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 43.9%
White 39.4%
African American 11.3%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, Mary C Williams 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 New Hanover County Schools, which includes Mary C Williams Elementary.
$13,724
Per student
+14%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 51.7%
Federal 18.8%
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 Mary C Williams Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emsley a Laney High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John T Hoggard High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eugene Ashley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| New Hanover High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charles P Murray Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary C Williams Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,243
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,082
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,893
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,437
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 907
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Wilmington
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Porters Neck Elementary
Standard public school
666 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Ogden Elementary
Standard public school
619 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Masonboro Elementary
Standard public school
564 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Heyward C Bellamy Elem
Standard public school
533 students 14:1 students per teacher
The International School at Gregory
Standard public school
514 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Edwin a Anderson Elementary
Standard public school
514 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~355 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary C Williams Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mary C Williams Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- New Hanover 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 Mary C Williams Elementary
How many students attend Mary C Williams Elementary?
Mary C Williams Elementary has 355 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Wilmington, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary C Williams Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary C Williams Elementary is 11.5:1, which is 27% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 27% 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 Mary C Williams Elementary?
97.5% of students at Mary C Williams Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary C Williams Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mary C Williams Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 43.9% of enrollment, in Wilmington, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary C Williams Elementary?
Mary C Williams Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Mary C Williams Elementary rank among elementary schools in Wilmington?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary C Williams Elementary ranks #18 of 24 elementary schools in Wilmington, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Wilmington on the city page.
Is Mary C Williams Elementary a good school?
Mary C Williams Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 New Hanover County Schools?
Besides Mary C Williams Elementary, New Hanover County Schools also operates Emsley a Laney High (2,243 students), John T Hoggard High (2,082 students), and Eugene Ashley High (1,893 students). See the New Hanover 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.