Enrollment
289
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kings Mountain, NC
West Elementary
Federal NCES profile for West Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 370090002722
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elementary earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of North Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Kings Mountain · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.1:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 58.6%
- free-lunch eligible
West Elementary has class sizes smaller than 77% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Kings Mountain, NC.
School address
District: Cleveland County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370090002722 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.6%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elementary
West Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, enrolling 289 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.6% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 289 puts it in the smaller third of North Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 2,698 North Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 247 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 289 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 19.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kings Mountain's public schools, it stands alongside Bethware Elementary (548 students): West Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.1:1 vs 16.6:1).
Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students) and Crest High (1,098 students) alongside 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 West Elementary compares
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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 17% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.6% | ▼ 11% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 289 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
289
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 23% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,957
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 289 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 63.0%
African American 21.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 63.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.8, West Elementary is about as mixed as the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cleveland County Schools, which includes West Elementary.
$11,957
Per student
0%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.4%
State 59.1%
Federal 19.5%
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 West Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Mountain High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crest High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Burns High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crest Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shelby High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 928
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 810
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Kings Mountain
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~289 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elementary's federal record.
- Compare West Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cleveland 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 West Elementary
How many students attend West Elementary?
West Elementary has 289 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kings Mountain, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elementary is 13.1:1, which is 17% 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 West Elementary?
58.6% of students at West Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elementary?
The largest demographic group at West Elementary is White at 63.0% of enrollment, in Kings Mountain, NC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elementary?
West Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 West Elementary rank among schools in Kings Mountain?
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Kings Mountain, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kings Mountain on the city page.
Is West Elementary a good school?
West Elementary earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Cleveland County Schools?
Besides West Elementary, Cleveland County Schools also operates Kings Mountain High (1,305 students), Crest High (1,098 students), and Burns High (928 students). See the Cleveland 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.