Enrollment
422
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sylva, NC
Scotts Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Scotts Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370234001007
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Scotts Creek Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Sylva · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 63.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Scotts Creek Elementary has class sizes smaller than 76% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Scotts Creek Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Sylva, NC.
School address
District: Jackson County Public Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370234001007 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.9%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Scotts Creek Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Scotts Creek Elementary
Scotts Creek Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Sylva, North Carolina, enrolling 422 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 63.9% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 422 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 414 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #131.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 211 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Sylva's public schools, it stands alongside Fairview Elementary (797 students): Scotts Creek Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 16.3:1).
Jackson County Public Schools also operates Smoky Mountain High School (881 students) and Fairview Elementary (797 students) alongside Scotts Creek 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 Scotts Creek Elementary compares
Scotts Creek 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 16% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.9% | ▼ 3% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 24% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
43.1%
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
$13,534
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 211 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 68.7%
Hispanic or Latino 17.8%
Two or More 7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.8%
African American 2.1%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: White at 68.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.0, Scotts Creek 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 Jackson County Public Schools, which includes Scotts Creek Elementary.
$13,534
Per student
+13%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.8%
State 51.8%
Federal 24.5%
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 Scotts Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairview Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cullowhee Valley School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Smokey Mountain Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blue Ridge School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Scotts Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 881
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 570
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 144
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Sylva
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 (~422 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Scotts Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Scotts Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Jackson 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 Scotts Creek Elementary
How many students attend Scotts Creek Elementary?
Scotts Creek Elementary has 422 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sylva, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Scotts Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Scotts Creek Elementary is 13.2:1, which is 16% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 16% 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 Scotts Creek Elementary?
63.9% of students at Scotts Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Scotts Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Scotts Creek Elementary is White at 68.7% of enrollment, in Sylva, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Scotts Creek Elementary?
Scotts Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Scotts Creek Elementary rank among schools in Sylva?
By Resource Investment Index, Scotts Creek Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Sylva, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sylva on the city page.
Is Scotts Creek Elementary a good school?
Scotts Creek Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% 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 Jackson County Public Schools?
Besides Scotts Creek Elementary, Jackson County Public Schools also operates Smoky Mountain High School (881 students), Fairview Elementary (797 students), and Cullowhee Valley School (570 students). See the Jackson 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.