Enrollment
616
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lexington, NC
Southwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Southwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370114002036
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwood Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #9 of 13
- schools in Lexington · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- students per teacher
- 59.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwood Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwood Elementary ranks #9 of 13 schools in Lexington, NC.
School address
District: Davidson County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370114002036 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwood Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwood Elementary
Southwood Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lexington, North Carolina, enrolling 616 students.
At 15.8:1, 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 59.8% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 616 puts it in the larger third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 479 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #252.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 411 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lexington's public schools, it stands alongside Welcome Elementary (638 students): Southwood Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 16.8:1).
Davidson County Schools also operates Oak Grove High (992 students) and North Davidson High (935 students) alongside Southwood 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 Southwood Elementary compares
Southwood 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 | 15.8:1 | ▼ 0% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.8% | ▼ 9% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 616 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
616
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 60% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$10,930
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 411 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
39
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 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 69.2%
Hispanic or Latino 18.8%
Two or More 6.3%
African American 4.1%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 69.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Southwood 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 Davidson County Schools, which includes Southwood Elementary.
$10,930
Per student
-9%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.2%
State 62.4%
Federal 21.3%
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 Southwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Grove High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Davidson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Davidson High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ledford Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Davidson High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 897
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 776
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 740
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Lexington
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Welcome Elementary
Standard public school
638 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Northwest Elementary
Standard public school
625 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Midway Elementary
Standard public school
546 students 17.6:1 students per teacher
Churchland Elementary
Standard public school
441 students 17:1 students per teacher
Davis-Townsend Elementary
Standard public school
430 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Tyro Elementary
Standard public school
393 students 15.1:1 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 (~616 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Southwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Davidson 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 Southwood Elementary
How many students attend Southwood Elementary?
Southwood Elementary has 616 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lexington, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwood Elementary is 15.8:1, which is 0% higher than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwood Elementary?
59.8% of students at Southwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Southwood Elementary is White at 69.2% of enrollment, in Lexington, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwood Elementary?
Southwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Southwood Elementary rank among schools in Lexington?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwood Elementary ranks #9 of 13 schools in Lexington, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lexington on the city page.
Is Southwood Elementary a good school?
Southwood Elementary earns 38/100 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 Davidson County Schools?
Besides Southwood Elementary, Davidson County Schools also operates Oak Grove High (992 students), North Davidson High (935 students), and Central Davidson High (897 students). See the Davidson 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.