Enrollment
98
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Winston-Salem, NC
The Special Children's School
Federal NCES profile for The Special Children's School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370150002985
👥 S:T ratio 67
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Special Children's School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina.
- #3 of 20
- schools in Winston-Salem · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.2:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 94.0%
- free-lunch eligible
The Special Children's School has class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The Special Children's School ranks #3 of 20 schools in Winston-Salem, NC.
School address
District: Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370150002985 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-48% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.0%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Special Children's School compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at The Special Children's School
The Special Children's School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, enrolling 98 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.2:1, The Special Children's School is leaner than roughly 97% of North Carolina schools and 48% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 94.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of North Carolina schools, with 98 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 70 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #28.
Its student body is led by African American (41%) and White (35%) (diversity index 68/100).
12.2% 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 Winston-Salem's public schools, it stands alongside Meadowlark Elementary (827 students): The Special Children's School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.2:1 vs 15:1).
Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools also operates West Forsyth High (2,145 students) and Ronald W Reagan High School (2,122 students) alongside The Special Children's School.
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 The Special Children's School compares
The Special Children's School 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 | 8.2:1 | ▼ 48% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.0% | ▲ 42% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 98 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.2:1
Leaner classes than 95% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
98
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
8.2:1
students per teacher
- 48% below state mean
Top 3% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 40.8%
White 34.7%
Hispanic or Latino 18.4%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 2.0%
Largest group: African American at 40.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.7, The Special Children's School is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Winston Salem / Forsyth County Schools, which includes The Special Children's School.
$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 The Special Children's School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Forsyth High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ronald W Reagan High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| R J Reynolds High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Forsyth High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Parkland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to The Special Children's School'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 Winston-Salem
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Meadowlark Elementary
Standard public school
827 students 15:1 students per teacher
Quality Education Academy
Standard public school
776 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Kimmel Farm Elementary
Standard public school
760 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Wallburg Elementary
Standard public school
717 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Gibson Elementary
Standard public school
589 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary
Standard public school
560 students 14:1 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 (~98 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The Special Children's School's federal record.
- Compare The Special Children's School 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 The Special Children's School
How many students attend The Special Children's School?
The Special Children's School has 98 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Winston-Salem, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Special Children's School?
The student-teacher ratio at The Special Children's School is 8.2:1, which is 48% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 48% 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 The Special Children's School?
94.0% of students at The Special Children's School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Special Children's School?
The largest demographic group at The Special Children's School is African American at 40.8% of enrollment, in Winston-Salem, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Special Children's School?
The Special Children's School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does The Special Children's School rank among schools in Winston-Salem?
By Resource Investment Index, The Special Children's School ranks #3 of 20 schools in Winston-Salem, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Winston-Salem on the city page.
Is The Special Children's School a good school?
The Special Children's School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of North Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in North Carolina. 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 The Special Children's School, 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.