Enrollment
451
North Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · West Jefferson, NC
Westwood Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Westwood Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 370021002704
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Westwood Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most North Carolina schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in West Jefferson · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- small classes for North Carolina
- 60.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Westwood Elementary has class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools. Computed live against every North Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Westwood Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in West Jefferson, NC.
School address
District: Ashe County Schools · North Carolina
NCES ID 370021002704 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 15.8:1 North Carolina avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.4%
vs 66.0% North Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Westwood Elementary compares with North Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Westwood Elementary
Westwood Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in West Jefferson, North Carolina, enrolling 451 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 12.2:1, Westwood Elementary is leaner than roughly 86% of North Carolina schools and 23% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.4% lands close to the North Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 451 students, its enrollment sits close to the North Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,698 scored North Carolina schools.
Among 459 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #346, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 451 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Ashe County Schools also operates Ashe County High (767 students) and Mountain View Elementary (566 students) alongside Westwood 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 Westwood Elementary compares
Westwood 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 23% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.4% | ▼ 8% | 66.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 451 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
451
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 14% in North Carolina - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
37.3%
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
$13,780
per pupil, district-wide
- above North Carolina avg of $12,017
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 451 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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
White 82.3%
Hispanic or Latino 15.7%
Two or More 1.3%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.8, Westwood Elementary is less mixed than the North Carolina school average of 56.1.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ashe County Schools, which includes Westwood Elementary.
$13,780
Per student
+15%
vs North Carolina
Avg $12,017
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.5%
State 64.8%
Federal 19.7%
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 Westwood Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashe County High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mountain View Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ashe County Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blue Ridge Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ashe County Early College High | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Westwood Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 401
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 143
- Students per teacher
- 28.6:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar elementary 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 (~451 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Westwood Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Westwood Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Ashe 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 Westwood Elementary
How many students attend Westwood Elementary?
Westwood Elementary has 451 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in West Jefferson, NC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Westwood Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Westwood Elementary is 12.2:1, which is 23% lower than the North Carolina average of 15.8:1 and 22% 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 Westwood Elementary?
60.4% of students at Westwood Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Carolina average of 66.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Westwood Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Westwood Elementary is White at 82.3% of enrollment, in West Jefferson, NC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Westwood Elementary?
Westwood Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Westwood Elementary rank among public schools in West Jefferson?
By Resource Investment Index, Westwood Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in West Jefferson, NC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in West Jefferson on the city page.
Is Westwood Elementary a good school?
Westwood Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of North Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Ashe County Schools?
Besides Westwood Elementary, Ashe County Schools also operates Ashe County High (767 students), Mountain View Elementary (566 students), and Ashe County Middle (401 students). See the Ashe 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.