Enrollment
588
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 370256003492
Wb Wicker Elementary — Sanford, NC
Federal NCES profile for Wb Wicker Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 24
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: Lee 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)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wb Wicker 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
Wb Wicker Elementary reports 588 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 12% 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 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 81.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 23% above the North Carolina average and 57% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Lee County Schools spends $12,597 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 16.8% from local sources (property taxes), 59.9% from the state, and 23.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 3 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 Wb Wicker 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 | 14.4:1 | ▼ 12% | 16.4:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.2% | ▲ 23% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 588 | top 63% | — | — |
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
81.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 23% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 12% below state mean
Top 40% in North Carolina — lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
30.3%
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
$12,597
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Carolina avg of $13,042
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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 + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 588 Top 63% in North Carolina — larger than 37% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 -12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 81.2% +23% vs state
NCES ID 370256003492
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 50.9%
African American 35.9%
White 8.2%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 50.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.3%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 44
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lee County Schools, which includes Wb Wicker Elementary.
$12,597
Per student
-3%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 16.8%
State 59.9%
Federal 23.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,459
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,180
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Enrollment
- 571
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
Similar elementary schools in Sanford
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Highland Elementary
Standard public school
854 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
J Glenn Edwards Elementary
Standard public school
587 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Greenwood Elementary
Standard public school
571 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Tramway Elementary
Standard public school
559 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Deep River Elementary
Standard public school
557 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Bt Bullock Elementary
Standard public school
511 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
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 Wb Wicker Elementary
How many students attend Wb Wicker Elementary?
Wb Wicker Elementary has 588 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Sanford, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wb Wicker Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Wb Wicker Elementary is 14.4:1, which is 12% lower than the North Carolina average of 16.4:1 and 9% 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 Wb Wicker Elementary?
81.2% of students at Wb Wicker Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wb Wicker Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Wb Wicker Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 50.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Sanford, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wb Wicker Elementary?
Wb Wicker Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.