Enrollment
610
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Boone, NC
Parkway Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Parkway Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370483001940
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Parkway Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Boone · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 32.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Parkway Elementary has class sizes smaller than 75% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Parkway Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Boone, NC.
School address
District: Watauga County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370483001940 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Parkway Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Parkway Elementary
Parkway Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Boone, North Carolina, enrolling 610 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 610 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 326 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #89.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 610 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 15.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Boone's public schools, it stands alongside Hardin Park Elementary (854 students): Parkway Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.3:1 vs 10.9:1).
Watauga County Schools also operates Watauga High (1,289 students) and Hardin Park Elementary (854 students) alongside Parkway 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 Parkway Elementary compares
Parkway 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.5% | ▼ 51% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 610 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
610
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 25% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.3%
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
$12,698
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 610 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 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 82.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.5%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 0.7%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.2, Parkway 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 Watauga County Schools, which includes Parkway Elementary.
$12,698
Per student
+6%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.9%
State 56.5%
Federal 15.6%
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 Parkway Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hardin Park Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blowing Rock Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valle Crucis Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Green Valley Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Parkway Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,289
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 854
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 409
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 345
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Boone
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~610 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Parkway Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Parkway Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Watauga 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 Parkway Elementary
How many students attend Parkway Elementary?
Parkway Elementary has 610 students enrolled. It is a public school in Boone, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Parkway Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Parkway Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 16% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 15% 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 Parkway Elementary?
32.5% of students at Parkway Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Parkway Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Parkway Elementary is White at 82.5% of enrollment, in Boone, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Parkway Elementary?
Parkway Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Parkway Elementary rank among schools in Boone?
By Resource Investment Index, Parkway Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Boone, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Boone on the city page.
Is Parkway Elementary a good school?
Parkway Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Watauga County Schools?
Besides Parkway Elementary, Watauga County Schools also operates Watauga High (1,289 students), Hardin Park Elementary (854 students), and Blowing Rock Elementary (409 students). See the Watauga 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.