Enrollment
559
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Pikeville, NC
Northwest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Northwest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370488002320
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwest Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Pikeville · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Northwest Elementary has class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Pikeville, NC.
School address
District: Wayne County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370488002320 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.6%
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 Pikeville, North Carolina, enrolling 559 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.2:1, Northwest Elementary is leaner than roughly 86% of North Carolina schools and 23% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 99.6% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the North Carolina average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 559 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 561 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #132.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 280 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 53.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 28.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Wayne County Public Schools also operates Charles B Aycock High (1,138 students) and Southern Wayne High (1,007 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 23% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.6% | ▲ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 559 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
559
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.6%
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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 14% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
53.1%
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
$11,752
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 280 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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
White 56.2%
African American 17.4%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
Two or More 9.1%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.0, Northwest 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 Wayne County Public Schools, which includes Northwest Elementary.
$11,752
Per student
-2%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.4%
State 60.6%
Federal 28.0%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles B Aycock High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southern Wayne High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Norwayne Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spring Creek Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eastern Wayne High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher 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
- 1,138
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,007
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 848
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 781
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~559 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Northwest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wayne 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 559 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Pikeville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwest Elementary is 12.2:1, which is 23% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 22% 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 Northwest Elementary?
99.6% 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 56.2% of enrollment, in Pikeville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwest Elementary?
Northwest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 public schools in Pikeville?
By Resource Investment Index, Northwest Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Pikeville, 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 Pikeville on the city page.
Is Northwest Elementary a good school?
Northwest Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Wayne County Public Schools?
Besides Northwest Elementary, Wayne County Public Schools also operates Charles B Aycock High (1,138 students), Southern Wayne High (1,007 students), and Norwayne Middle (848 students). See the Wayne 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.