Enrollment
720
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jacksonville, NC
Southwest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Southwest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370345001233
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwest Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 6
- schools in Jacksonville · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 53.8%
- 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 #3 of 6 schools in Jacksonville, NC.
School address
District: Onslow County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370345001233 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-18% 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 higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Jacksonville, North Carolina, enrolling 720 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.8:1 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 53.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 720 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 468 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #363, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 720 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Jacksonville's public schools, it stands alongside Morton Elementary (715 students): Southwest Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 15.5:1).
Onslow County Schools also operates Jacksonville High (1,441 students) and White Oak High (1,252 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.8% | ▼ 18% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 720 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
720
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 32% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
35.0%
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
$10,680
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 720 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 61.3%
Hispanic or Latino 17.8%
African American 11.1%
Two or More 9.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 61.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.2, 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 Onslow County Schools, which includes Southwest Elementary.
$10,680
Per student
-11%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 57.2%
Federal 21.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Oak High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Swansboro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dixon High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northside High | Larger | Similar 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
- 1,441
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,252
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,232
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,085
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Jacksonville
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Morton Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Hunters Creek Elementary
Standard public school
585 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Clear View Elementary
Standard public school
535 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Summersill Elementary
Standard public school
482 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Onslow Virtual Secondary
Standard public school
421 students 12.8:1 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 (~720 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Southwest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Onslow 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 720 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jacksonville, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Elementary is 13.8:1, which is 13% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 12% 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?
53.8% 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 61.3% of enrollment, in Jacksonville, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest Elementary?
Southwest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Jacksonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Elementary ranks #3 of 6 schools in Jacksonville, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jacksonville on the city page.
Is Southwest Elementary a good school?
Southwest Elementary earns 32/100 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 Onslow County Schools?
Besides Southwest Elementary, Onslow County Schools also operates Jacksonville High (1,441 students), White Oak High (1,252 students), and Swansboro High (1,232 students). See the Onslow 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.