Enrollment
444
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wake Forest, NC
Wake Forest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Wake Forest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370472001900
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wake Forest Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Carolina median.
- #3 of 6
- schools in Wake Forest · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 53.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Wake Forest Elementary has class sizes near the North Carolina median. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wake Forest Elementary ranks #3 of 6 schools in Wake Forest, NC.
School address
District: Wake County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370472001900 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.8%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wake Forest Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wake Forest Elementary
Wake Forest Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wake Forest, North Carolina, enrolling 444 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.3:1 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.
With 444 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Against 453 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #267.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and African American (25%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 444 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Wake Forest's public schools, it stands alongside Wake Preparatory Academy (2,617 students): Wake Forest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students) and Enloe High (2,643 students) alongside Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest Elementary compares
Wake Forest 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.8% | ▼ 18% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 444 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
444
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 39% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.9%
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
$11,859
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 444 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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 48.2%
African American 24.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.6%
Two or More 8.1%
Asian 4.3%
Largest group: White at 48.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.6, Wake Forest Elementary is more mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wake County Schools, which includes Wake Forest Elementary.
$11,859
Per student
-1%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.9%
State 54.5%
Federal 16.6%
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 Wake Forest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Friendship High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enloe High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Panther Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Millbrook High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Apex High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wake Forest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,748
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,643
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,609
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,498
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 2,449
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Wake Forest
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Wake Preparatory Academy
Standard public school
2,617 students
Franklin Academy
Standard public school
1,660 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Casa Esperanza Montessori Charter School
Standard public school
752 students 20.9:1 students per teacher
Heritage Elementary
Standard public school
634 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Jones Dairy Elementary
Standard public school
627 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Richland Creek Elementary
Standard public school
558 students 14.7:1 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 (~444 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wake Forest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Wake Forest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Wake 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 Wake Forest Elementary
How many students attend Wake Forest Elementary?
Wake Forest Elementary has 444 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wake Forest, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wake Forest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Wake Forest Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 9% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 9% 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 Wake Forest Elementary?
53.8% of students at Wake Forest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wake Forest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Wake Forest Elementary is White at 48.2% of enrollment, in Wake Forest, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wake Forest Elementary?
Wake Forest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Wake Forest Elementary rank among schools in Wake Forest?
By Resource Investment Index, Wake Forest Elementary ranks #3 of 6 schools in Wake Forest, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Wake Forest on the city page.
Is Wake Forest Elementary a good school?
Wake Forest Elementary earns 39/100 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 Wake County Schools?
Besides Wake Forest Elementary, Wake County Schools also operates Apex Friendship High (2,748 students), Enloe High (2,643 students), and Panther Creek High (2,609 students). See the Wake 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.