Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Elementary· 42 schools in district

Lake Forest Academy

1802 S 15th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401New Hanover County Schools
Federal DataAlternative Education SchoolGrades KG08Non-Charter
38
Students
Total enrolled
$14,481
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
~avg
2.7 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
82% vs nat'l
Small public school
Serves 38 students in grades KG–08 in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Near-average funding
District spends $14,481 per pupil — close to the national average of $14,347.
2.7 : 1 student-teacher ratio
This is well below the national average — smaller classes of 15.4:1.
About This School

Lake Forest Academy is a small elementary in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving grades KG–08 with 38 students. The district invests $14,481 per student — close to the national average of $14,347, and maintains a 2.7:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller than the national norm of 15.4:1. About 92% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the surrounding community.

Student Body & Demographics at Lake Forest Academy

38
Total Students
2.7 : 1
Student:Teacher
92%
Free Lunch
14
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
Highlighted grades (KG08) are served by this school
Gender Distribution32 male · 6 female
84%
16%
Male 84%Female 16%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility92%
National avg 52% · 35 students
Student Composition
24%
8%
47%
21%
White24%
Hispanic / Latino8%
Black47%
Multiracial21%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 370333002865

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$14,481Near avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$14,481
State avg
$13,042
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$6,372
Student Support$2,751
Administration$1,738
Operations$2,172
Other$1,448
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $14,481 spent per student, an estimated $6,415 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
52%
29%
State government
51.7%
Local (property tax)
29.4%
Federal programs
18.8%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 2.7:1 student-teacher ratio — smaller classes than the national norm of 15.4:1
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • 92% of students on free or reduced lunch — a high share that can indicate resource pressure
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
School Profile
TypeAlternative Education School
LevelElementary
GradesKG – 08
Location
CountyNew Hanover County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
Phone: (910)772-2515
NCES ID: 370333002865
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Wilmington seeking a public elementary school, especially those prioritizing smaller class sizes and more individualized teacher access. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

Location
1802 S 15th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

Elementary
1
How is early reading and literacy taught?
Look for evidence-based, structured approaches
2
How does the school communicate with families?
Frequency, channels, translation support
3
What support exists for students who fall behind?
Tutoring, intervention programs, IEPs
4
What's the average class size here?
National avg is ~23 for elementary
5
What before/after-school programs are available?
Important for working parents
6
How is student social-emotional wellbeing supported?
Counselors, community circles, conflict resolution
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.