Enrollment
335
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Raleigh, NC
Powell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Powell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370472001888
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Powell Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of North Carolina schools.
- #17 of 52
- schools in Raleigh · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.8:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 52.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Powell Elementary has class sizes smaller than 93% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Powell Elementary ranks #17 of 52 schools in Raleigh, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472001888 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.5%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Powell Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Powell Elementary
Powell Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Raleigh, North Carolina, enrolling 335 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.8:1, Powell Elementary is leaner than roughly 93% of North Carolina schools and 32% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 52.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 335 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 312 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #87.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (33%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 88 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 335 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Raleigh's public schools, it stands alongside Harris Creek Elementary (827 students): Powell Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.8:1 vs 13.6:1).
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Powell 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 Powell Elementary compares
Powell 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 | 10.8:1 | ▼ 32% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.5% | ▼ 20% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 335 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
335
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.5%
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
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 7% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.9%
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
$11,859
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 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
56
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.3 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 43.9%
African American 33.4%
Hispanic or Latino 15.2%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 43.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.9, Powell 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 Wake County Schools, which includes Powell Elementary.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 Powell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Powell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Raleigh
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Harris Creek Elementary
Standard public school
827 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Abbotts Creek Elementary
Standard public school
805 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Sycamore Creek Elementary
Standard public school
778 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Rogers Lane Elementary
Standard public school
763 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
North Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
730 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
River Bend Elementary
Standard public school
709 students 13.9:1 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 (~335 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Powell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Powell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wake 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 Powell Elementary
How many students attend Powell Elementary?
Powell Elementary has 335 students enrolled. It is a public school in Raleigh, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Powell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Powell Elementary is 10.8:1, which is 32% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 31% 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 Powell Elementary?
52.5% of students at Powell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Powell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Powell Elementary is White at 43.9% of enrollment, in Raleigh, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Powell Elementary?
Powell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Powell Elementary rank among schools in Raleigh?
By Resource Investment Index, Powell Elementary ranks #17 of 52 schools in Raleigh, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Raleigh on the city page.
Is Powell Elementary a good school?
Powell Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Powell Elementary, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake 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.