Enrollment
292
Elementary
DISTRICT 336 · STATE 467
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·HICKORY CITY SCHOOLS·NCES 370219000949
Southwest Primary
1580 32nd Street SW, Hickory, NC 28602 · (828) 324-8884 · Catawba County
GRADES PK–02ELEMENTARY22-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL292 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
13.5:1
22 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.5:1 · STATE 14.9:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
99%
289 students
DISTRICT 99% · STATE 82%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 32 | 11% |
| Kindergarten | 91 | 31% |
| Grade 1 | 88 | 30% |
| Grade 2 | 81 | 28% |
Student demographics
76%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 74% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Southwest Primary→Longview Elementary
Based on grade levels within Hickory City Schools. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Schools most like Southwest Primary
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Primary this school | 292 | 99.0% | N/A |
| Longview Elementary Hickory | 269 | 98.9% | 46.9% |
| W M Jenkins Elementary Hickory | 276 | 98.9% | 61.9% |
| Oaks Road Academy New Bern | 352 | 96.0% | 38.6% |
| Scotts Elementary Statesville | 283 | 98.9% | 53.6% |
| South Newton Elementary Newton | 328 | 99.1% | 52.2% |
Matched among North Carolina elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Southwest Primary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In North Carolina | In Catawba County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 292 | #1,196 of 1,485 | #21 of 24 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.5:1 | #341 of 1,377 | #1 of 24 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 76.0% | #13 of 1,379 | #2 of 24 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 99.0% | #661 of 1,414 | #16 of 24 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -19.8% | #287 of 937 | #7 of 18 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
292
-66 (-18%) vs 2020
-16% since 1990-91, when it was 348
Student : Teacher
13.5:1
was 13.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 292 | 21.6 | 13.5:1 | 99% (289) |
| 2023-24 | 311 | 23.1 | 13.4:1 | 99% (308) |
| 2022-23 | 304 | 25.2 | 12.1:1 | 99% (301) |
| 2020-21 | 358 | 26 | 13.8:1 | 99% (355) |
| 2017-18 | 364 | 25.1 | 14.5:1 | 99% (359) |
| 2015-16 | 320 | 19 | 16.8:1 | 99% (317) |
| 2010-11 | 364 | 24 | 15.2:1 | 83% (303) |
| 2000-01 | 433 | 30 | 14.4:1 | 64% (277) |
| 1990-91 | 348 | 19 | 18.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Southwest Primary.
Since 2017-18: students down 20% (364 to 292); teachers down 14% (25.1 to 21.6).
About Southwest Primary
Southwest Primary is a low-enrollment elementary school in Hickory, North Carolina, under Hickory City Schools. The school counts 292 students across pre-K through 2. The school's enrollment is 37% smaller than the 467 average for elementary schools in North Carolina.
The district for Southwest Primary is Hickory City Schools, with 9 schools and 3,735 students.
White students are the largest group at Southwest Primary, with 31% of enrollment. Next come 26% Black, 25% Hispanic, 9% multiracial, and 8% Asian. The county population is about 75% White. Southwest Primary has a diversity index of 76%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
With 21.6 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, the ratio at Southwest Primary was 13.5:1. The 14.9:1 average for elementary schools in North Carolina is higher than this school's figure. A measure often used for student poverty, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, stands at 99%. It compares with 86% for public schools in Catawba County.
Catawba County has these Census figures: median household income is about $67,864, about 26% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 9%. Southwest Primary is among the 44 public schools in Catawba County.
Of nearby public schools, Longview Elementary is the closest, at about 1.8 miles. The count of other public schools within five miles is at least 8.
Federal data place Southwest Primary in the Suburb: Mid-size locale, which means it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population between 100,000 and 250,000.
The number of students declined from 358 to 292 over 4 years.
Discussion on this page can cover sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Catawba County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
163,573
Census ACS
Median income
$67,864
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
26%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
9%
Below federal line
Schools in county
44
22,392 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Hickory City Schools
- Hickory HighHigh · 1,024 students
- Viewmont ElementaryElementary · 509 students
- Northview MiddleMiddle · 481 students
- Grandview MiddleMiddle · 347 students
- Oakwood ElementaryElementary · 336 students
- W M Jenkins ElementaryElementary · 276 students
Other schools in Hickory
- Saint Stephens HighHigh · 1,268 students
- Hickory HighHigh · 1,024 students
- Mountain View ElementaryElementary · 708 students
- Harry M Arndt MiddleMiddle · 601 students
- Snow Creek ElementaryElementary · 551 students
- Viewmont ElementaryElementary · 509 students
Nearby schools
- Longview Elementary1.8 mi · 269
- Hildebran Elementary2.2 mi · 297
- Oakwood Elementary3.1 mi · 336
- Grandview Middle3.2 mi · 347
- Mountain View Elementary3.2 mi · 708
- Ray Childers Elementary3.6 mi · 460
Frequently asked questions
About Southwest PrimaryHow many students attend Southwest Primary?
Southwest Primary enrolls approximately 292 students in grades PK-02.
What age range does Southwest Primary serve?
Southwest Primary serves students from grade PK through grade 02.
How many students per teacher at Southwest Primary?
Approximately 13.5:1 students per teacher at Southwest Primary.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Southwest Primary?
At Southwest Primary, the student body is approximately 31% White, 25% Hispanic, 26% Black, 8% Asian, 9% Two or more.
Is Southwest Primary public or private?
Southwest Primary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Hickory City Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.