Enrollment
504
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kinston, NC
Northwest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370261000586
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Kinston · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18:1
- large classes for North Carolina
- 99.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Kinston, NC.
School address
District: Lenoir County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370261000586 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+51% 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 high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Kinston, North Carolina, enrolling 504 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 99.4% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 504 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 564 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #447, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (8%) (diversity index 43/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 504 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kinston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Moss Hill Elementary (371 students): Northwest Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18:1 vs 12.8:1).
Lenoir County Public Schools also operates North Lenoir High (957 students) and Contentnea-Savannah School (789 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 14% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 504 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
504
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 81% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.6%
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
$12,373
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 504 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 74.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
White 6.9%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 3.8%
Largest group: African American at 74.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.2, 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 Lenoir County Public Schools, which includes Northwest Elementary.
$12,373
Per student
+3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.9%
State 65.3%
Federal 22.9%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Lenoir High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Contentnea-Savannah School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Lenoir High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Kinston High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodington Middle | Similar size | Similar 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
- 957
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 789
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 721
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 584
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in Kinston
3 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 (~504 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lenoir County Public 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 504 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kinston, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elementary is 18:1, which is 14% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwest Elementary?
99.4% 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 African American at 74.2% of enrollment, in Kinston, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Elementary?
Northwest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 elementary schools in Kinston?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Kinston, 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 Kinston on the city page.
Is Northwest Elementary a good school?
Northwest Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Lenoir County Public Schools?
Besides Northwest Elementary, Lenoir County Public Schools also operates North Lenoir High (957 students), Contentnea-Savannah School (789 students), and South Lenoir High (721 students). See the Lenoir County Public 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.