Enrollment
403
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bryson City, NC
Swain County West Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Swain County West Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370444002316
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 19
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Swain County West Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of North Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Bryson City · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 99.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Swain County West Elementary has class sizes smaller than 78% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Swain County West Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Bryson City, NC.
School address
District: Swain County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370444002316 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.3%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Swain County West Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Swain County West Elementary
Swain County West Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Bryson City, North Carolina, enrolling 403 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 99.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 403 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 511 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #332.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 403 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bryson City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Swain County East Elementary (338 students): Swain County West Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 13:1).
Swain County Schools also operates Swain County High School (536 students) and Swain County Middle School (453 students) alongside Swain County West 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 Swain County West Elementary compares
Swain County West 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.3% | ▲ 50% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 403 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
403
Bigger than 48% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
99.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above 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
- 18% below state mean
Top 22% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
55.1%
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
$14,269
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 403 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 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 72.7%
Two or More 11.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 72.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.7, Swain County West 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 Swain County Schools, which includes Swain County West Elementary.
$14,269
Per student
+19%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Swain County West Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swain County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Swain County Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Swain County East Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherokee Extension School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Swain County West Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 338
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 110
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 21/100
Similar elementary schools in Bryson City
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~403 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Swain County West Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Swain County West Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Swain 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 Swain County West Elementary
How many students attend Swain County West Elementary?
Swain County West Elementary has 403 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bryson City, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Swain County West Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Swain County West Elementary is 13:1, which is 18% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 17% 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 Swain County West Elementary?
99.3% of students at Swain County West 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 West Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Swain County West Elementary is White at 72.7% of enrollment, in Bryson City, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Swain County West Elementary?
Swain County West Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Swain County West Elementary rank among elementary schools in Bryson City?
By Resource Investment Index, Swain County West Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Bryson City, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bryson City on the city page.
Is Swain County West Elementary a good school?
Swain County West Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% 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 Swain County Schools?
Besides Swain County West Elementary, Swain County Schools also operates Swain County High School (536 students), Swain County Middle School (453 students), and Swain County East Elementary (338 students). See the Swain 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.