Enrollment
338
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 370444002315
Swain County East Elementary — Bryson City, NC
Federal NCES profile for Swain County East Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Swain County Schools · North Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Swain County East Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Swain County East Elementary reports 338 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% below the North Carolina state mean of 16.4:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 64.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 3% below the North Carolina average and 24% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 338 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 47.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Swain County Schools spends $15,228 per pupil district-wide, above the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 7.7% from local sources (property taxes), 63.1% from the state, and 29.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Swain County East Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Carolina | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 21% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.3% | ▼ 3% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 338 | top 27% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
64.3%
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
13:1
students per teacher
— 21% below state mean
Top 21% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
47.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,228
per pupil, district-wide
— above North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 338 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 338 Top 27% in North Carolina — larger than 73% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 13:1 -21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 64.3% -3% vs state
NCES ID 370444002315
Student demographics
White 47.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 26.0%
Two or More 17.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 47.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 338:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 47.3%
In-school suspensions 15
Out-of-school suspensions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Swain County Schools, which includes Swain County East Elementary.
$15,228
Per student
+17%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 7.7%
State 63.1%
Federal 29.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 110
- Students per teacher
- —
Similar elementary schools in Bryson City
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Swain County East Elementary
How many students attend Swain County East Elementary?
Swain County East Elementary has 338 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Bryson City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Swain County East Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Swain County East Elementary is 13:1, which is 21% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Swain County East Elementary?
64.3% of students at Swain County East Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Swain County East Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Swain County East Elementary is White at 47.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in Bryson City, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Swain County East Elementary?
Swain County East Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.