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. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.
Aiken, South Carolina - 39 schools
An equity score of 24/100 ranks Aiken 01 #66 of 73 districts in South Carolina (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,604 per pupil, Aiken 01 ranks #63 of 74 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (South Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
Aiken 01 operates 39 public schools serving 23,181 students, placing it in the mid-size range in South Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 22 combined, 10 middle, 7 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Aiken County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,604 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 74 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how South Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 39.3% local, 45.4% state, and 15.3% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 24/100, ranked #66 of 73 in South Carolina against a state average of 51, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 8 of 39 schools offering Advanced Placement (87 AP courses district-wide), a 389.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 41.9% White, 33.3% African American, 15.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Clearwater Elementary, with a diversity index of 71.4/100.
Its largest campus is North Augusta High, enrolling 1,645 students (7% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Aiken Scholars Academy, at 176 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Aiken 01 school enrollment ranges from 176 students (lowest) to 1,645 students (highest), a spread of 1,469 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22
This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.
Average demographic composition across 39 schools in Aiken 01.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across Aiken 01's schools, above the South Carolina average of 52.7.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
The South Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charter Institute at Erskine | Similar size | Lower spending | Less locally funded |
| Richland 01 | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
| Beaufort 01 | Similar size | Higher spending | More locally funded |
| Dorchester 02 | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
| Lexington 01 | Similar size | Similar spending | Similar funding mix |
Comparisons are relative to Aiken 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Greenville 01 →Aiken 01 has 39 schools, including 7 high, 22 combined, 10 middle. Total enrollment is 23,181 students.
Aiken 01 spends $11,604 per student. The district has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #66 in South Carolina.
Aiken 01 students are 41.9% White, 33.3% African American, 15.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 39 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
Aiken 01 has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #66 out of 73 districts in South Carolina.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.