Enrollment
380
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 370069000293
Webb a Murray Elementary — Hickory, NC
Federal NCES profile for Webb a Murray Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 25
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: Catawba 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)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 16.4:1 North Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.2%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Webb a Murray 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
Webb a Murray Elementary reports 380 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 27.0 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: 70.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 6% above the North Carolina average and 36% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 380 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 30.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Catawba County Schools spends $12,509 per pupil district-wide, below the North Carolina average of $13,042 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 22.3% from local sources (property taxes), 55.4% from the state, and 22.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), 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 Webb a Murray 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 | 70.2% | ▲ 6% | 66.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 33% | — | — |
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
70.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 6% 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
30.0%
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
$12,509
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 380 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 380 Top 33% in North Carolina — larger than 67% of 2,703 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 27.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 -12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 70.2% +6% vs state
NCES ID 370069000293
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 48.4%
White 26.8%
African American 9.7%
Asian 7.6%
Two or More 7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 48.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 380:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 30.0%
In-school suspensions 19
Out-of-school suspensions 24
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Catawba County Schools, which includes Webb a Murray Elementary.
$12,509
Per student
-4%
vs North Carolina
Avg $13,042
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 22.3%
State 55.4%
Federal 22.2%
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
- 1,268
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Enrollment
- 930
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Enrollment
- 845
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
Similar other schools in Hickory
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Snow Creek Elementary
Standard public school
551 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Viewmont Elementary
Standard public school
509 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Clyde Campbell Elementary
Standard public school
505 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Ray Childers Elementary
Standard public school
460 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Oakwood Elementary
Standard public school
336 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Southwest Primary
Standard public school
292 students 12.2:1 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 Webb a Murray Elementary
How many students attend Webb a Murray Elementary?
Webb a Murray Elementary has 380 students enrolled. It is a other school in Hickory, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Webb a Murray Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Webb a Murray 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 Webb a Murray Elementary?
70.2% of students at Webb a Murray Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Webb a Murray Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Webb a Murray Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 48.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Hickory, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Webb a Murray Elementary?
Webb a Murray Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) 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.