Enrollment
546
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Clemmons, NC
Southwest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Southwest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370150000641
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwest Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Clemmons · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 35.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwest Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Clemmons, NC.
School address
District: Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370150000641 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwest Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwest Elementary
Southwest Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Clemmons, North Carolina, enrolling 546 students.
At 15.2:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 35.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 546 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 349 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #170.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 546 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 22.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Clemmons's public schools, it stands alongside Clemmons Elementary (839 students): Southwest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.2:1 vs 16.8:1).
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools also operates West Forsyth High (2,145 students) and Ronald W Reagan High School (2,122 students) alongside Southwest 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 Southwest Elementary compares
Southwest 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 | 15.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.2% | ▼ 47% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 546 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
546
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% below the North Carolina average of 66.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 52% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,036
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 546 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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 64.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.3%
African American 9.7%
Two or More 8.2%
Asian 5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.0, Southwest Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools, which includes Southwest Elementary.
$13,036
Per student
+8%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.3%
State 52.1%
Federal 22.5%
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 Southwest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Forsyth High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ronald W Reagan High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| R J Reynolds High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Forsyth High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parkland High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,145
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,122
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,759
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,647
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 1,569
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Clemmons
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 (~546 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Southwest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Winston Salem / Forsyth 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 Southwest Elementary
How many students attend Southwest Elementary?
Southwest Elementary has 546 students enrolled. It is a public school in Clemmons, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 4% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 3% 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 Southwest Elementary?
35.2% of students at Southwest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Southwest Elementary is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Clemmons, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest Elementary?
Southwest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Southwest Elementary rank among schools in Clemmons?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Clemmons, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Clemmons on the city page.
Is Southwest Elementary a good school?
Southwest Elementary earns 43/100 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 Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools?
Besides Southwest Elementary, Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools also operates West Forsyth High (2,145 students), Ronald W Reagan High School (2,122 students), and R J Reynolds High (1,759 students). See the Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools district page for the complete list.
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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.