Enrollment
351
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Granite Falls, NC
Sawmills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sawmills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370058000238
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sawmills Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #2 of 5
- schools in Granite Falls · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 70.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Sawmills Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sawmills Elementary ranks #2 of 5 schools in Granite Falls, NC.
School address
District: Caldwell County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370058000238 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.1%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sawmills Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sawmills Elementary
Sawmills Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Granite Falls, North Carolina, enrolling 351 students.
At 14.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the North Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 70.1% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 351 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 253 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #79.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 351 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 26.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Granite Falls's public schools, it stands alongside Granite Falls Elementary (647 students): Sawmills Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.6:1 vs 17:1).
Caldwell County Schools also operates South Caldwell High (1,272 students) and Hibriten High (818 students) alongside Sawmills 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 Sawmills Elementary compares
Sawmills 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.1% | ▲ 6% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 351 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
351
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% above 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 43% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.2%
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
$11,644
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 351 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 77.5%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 2.0%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 77.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.8, Sawmills 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 Caldwell County Schools, which includes Sawmills Elementary.
$11,644
Per student
-3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.5%
State 57.4%
Federal 26.1%
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 Sawmills Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Caldwell High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hibriten High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hudson Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Granite Falls Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Caldwell High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sawmills Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 634
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Granite Falls
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Granite Falls Elementary
Standard public school
647 students 17:1 students per teacher
Dudley Shoals Elementary
Standard public school
433 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Baton Elementary
Standard public school
357 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Gateway School
Alternative education program
53 students 4.4:1 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 (~351 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sawmills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sawmills Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Caldwell 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 Sawmills Elementary
How many students attend Sawmills Elementary?
Sawmills Elementary has 351 students enrolled. It is a public school in Granite Falls, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sawmills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sawmills Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 8% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 7% 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 Sawmills Elementary?
70.1% of students at Sawmills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sawmills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sawmills Elementary is White at 77.5% of enrollment, in Granite Falls, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sawmills Elementary?
Sawmills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Sawmills Elementary rank among schools in Granite Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Sawmills Elementary ranks #2 of 5 schools in Granite Falls, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Granite Falls on the city page.
Is Sawmills Elementary a good school?
Sawmills Elementary earns 45/100 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 Caldwell County Schools?
Besides Sawmills Elementary, Caldwell County Schools also operates South Caldwell High (1,272 students), Hibriten High (818 students), and Hudson Elementary (665 students). See the Caldwell 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.