Enrollment
625
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lexington, NC
Northwest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370114000476
👥 S:T ratio 22
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 17
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #5 of 13
- schools in Lexington · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 32.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest Elementary has class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elementary ranks #5 of 13 schools in Lexington, NC.
School address
District: Davidson County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370114000476 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-52% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwest Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwest Elementary
Northwest Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lexington, North Carolina, enrolling 625 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.5:1 is larger than about 88% of North Carolina schools and 23% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 32.0% free-meal eligibility runs 52% below the North Carolina average.
Enrollment of 625 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 322 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #114.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 417 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lexington's public schools, it stands alongside Welcome Elementary (638 students): Northwest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.5:1 vs 16.8:1).
Davidson County Schools also operates Oak Grove High (992 students) and North Davidson High (935 students) alongside Northwest 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 Northwest Elementary compares
Northwest 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 | 19.5:1 | ▲ 23% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.0% | ▼ 52% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 625 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
625
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 52% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 88% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,930
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 417 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.1 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
White 83.5%
Hispanic or Latino 7.7%
Two or More 6.6%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 83.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.2, Northwest Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Davidson County Schools, which includes Northwest Elementary.
$10,930
Per student
-9%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.2%
State 62.4%
Federal 21.3%
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 Northwest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Grove High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Davidson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Davidson High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ledford Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Davidson High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Lexington
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Welcome Elementary
Standard public school
638 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Southwood Elementary
Standard public school
616 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Midway Elementary
Standard public school
546 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Churchland Elementary
Standard public school
441 students 17:1 students per teacher
Davis-Townsend Elementary
Standard public school
430 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Tyro Elementary
Standard public school
393 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~625 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Davidson 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 Northwest Elementary
How many students attend Northwest Elementary?
Northwest Elementary has 625 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lexington, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elementary is 19.5:1, which is 23% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwest Elementary?
32.0% of students at Northwest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Northwest Elementary is White at 83.5% of enrollment, in Lexington, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Elementary?
Northwest Elementary 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).
How does Northwest Elementary rank among schools in Lexington?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elementary ranks #5 of 13 schools in Lexington, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lexington on the city page.
Is Northwest Elementary a good school?
Northwest Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Davidson County Schools?
Besides Northwest Elementary, Davidson County Schools also operates Oak Grove High (992 students), North Davidson High (935 students), and Central Davidson High (897 students). See the Davidson 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.