Enrollment
336
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hickory, NC
Oakwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Oakwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370219000948
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Oakwood Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Hickory · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16:1
- students per teacher
- 53.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Oakwood Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Oakwood Elementary ranks #1 of 7 schools in Hickory, NC.
School address
District: Hickory City Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370219000948 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Oakwood Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Oakwood Elementary
Oakwood Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hickory, North Carolina, enrolling 336 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 336 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 317 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #63.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hickory's public schools, it stands alongside Snow Creek Elementary (551 students): Oakwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16:1 vs 13.8:1).
Hickory City Schools also operates Hickory High (1,024 students) and Viewmont Elementary (509 students) alongside Oakwood 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 Oakwood Elementary compares
Oakwood 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 1% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.1% | ▼ 20% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 336 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
336
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% below 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 62% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.9%
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
$11,646
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 336 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 56.0%
African American 17.6%
Hispanic or Latino 15.5%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 3.0%
Largest group: White at 56.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Oakwood 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 Hickory City Schools, which includes Oakwood Elementary.
$11,646
Per student
-3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.9%
State 61.5%
Federal 19.6%
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 Oakwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Viewmont Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grandview Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southwest Primary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Oakwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 347
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Hickory
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Snow Creek Elementary
Standard public school
551 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Viewmont Elementary
Standard public school
509 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Clyde Campbell Elementary
Standard public school
505 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Ray Childers Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Webb a Murray Elementary
Standard public school
380 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Southwest Primary
Standard public school
292 students 11.7:1 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 (~336 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Oakwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Oakwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Hickory City 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 Oakwood Elementary
How many students attend Oakwood Elementary?
Oakwood Elementary has 336 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hickory, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Oakwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Oakwood Elementary is 16:1, which is 1% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Oakwood Elementary?
53.1% of students at Oakwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Oakwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Oakwood Elementary is White at 56.0% of enrollment, in Hickory, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Oakwood Elementary?
Oakwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Oakwood Elementary rank among schools in Hickory?
By Resource Investment Index, Oakwood Elementary ranks #1 of 7 schools in Hickory, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hickory on the city page.
Is Oakwood Elementary a good school?
Oakwood Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median. 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 Hickory City Schools?
Besides Oakwood Elementary, Hickory City Schools also operates Hickory High (1,024 students), Viewmont Elementary (509 students), and Northview Middle (481 students). See the Hickory City 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.