Cherokee 01

Gaffney, South Carolina — 14 schools

7,925
Total Enrollment
14
Schools
$15,161
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Cherokee 01 operates 14 public schools serving 7,925 students, placing it among the smaller districts in South Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 other, 3 middle, 2 high, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 7,525 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Cherokee County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,161 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 38.3% local, 45.1% state, and 16.6% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $71,978 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 44/100, ranked #46 of 73 in South Carolina against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 14 schools offering Advanced Placement (22 AP courses district-wide), a 307.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 43.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 60.5% White, 24.1% African American, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Gaffney High accounts for 24.3% of all Cherokee 01 student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Cherokee 01-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Cherokee 01 school enrollment varies 6.9× across entities

Cherokee 01 school enrollment ranges from 264 students (lowest) to 1,827 students (highest), a spread of 1,563 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

Cherokee 01 has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 88.4% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility — including this one — receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. 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

Cherokee 01 student-counselor ratio is 307:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within Cherokee 01 is typically wider than the Cherokee 01-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Cherokee 01 chronic absenteeism rate is 43.0% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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

Where does the funding come from?

16.6%
Federal
45.1%
State
38.3%
Local

Funding Equity

44
Equity Score
46 / 73
State Rank
51
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Cherokee County county, where this district is located.

$755
Studio/mo
$795
1 BR/mo
$902
2 BR/mo
$1,135
3 BR/mo
$1,349
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$71,978
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 14 schools in Cherokee 01.

White 60.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.6%
African American 24.1%
Asian 0.7%
Multiracial 4.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

2 / 14
Schools with AP
22 AP courses total
307.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
43.0%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Cherokee 01

School Enrollment
Gaffney High
1,827
Gaffney Middle
851
B. D. Lee Elementary
603
Grassy Pond Elementary
519
Blacksburg High
482
Limestone-Central Elementary
436
Northwest Elementary
423
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary
399
John E. Ewing Middle
380
Blacksburg Middle
363
Blacksburg Primary
363
Blacksburg Elementary
323
Corinth Elementary
292
Draytonville Elementary
264

Nearby Districts in South Carolina

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Greenville 01
77,978 students · 92 schools · $13,261/pupil
Compare vs Cherokee 01 →
Charleston 01
49,929 students · 82 schools · $20,688/pupil
Compare vs Cherokee 01 →
Horry 01
47,357 students · 57 schools · $14,530/pupil
Compare vs Cherokee 01 →
Berkeley 01
37,932 students · 46 schools · $13,148/pupil
Compare vs Cherokee 01 →
Richland 02
28,510 students · 32 schools · $18,376/pupil
Compare vs Cherokee 01 →

Compare Cherokee 01

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Greenville 01 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Cherokee 01?

Cherokee 01 has 14 schools, including 2 high, 3 middle, 8 other, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 7,925 students.

How much does Cherokee 01 spend per student?

Cherokee 01 spends $15,161 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #46 in South Carolina.

What is the average teacher salary in Cherokee 01?

The average teacher salary in Cherokee 01 is $71,978 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Cherokee 01?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Cherokee County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Cherokee 01?

Cherokee 01 students are 60.5% White, 24.1% African American, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 14 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Cherokee 01?

Cherokee 01 has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #46 out of 73 districts in South Carolina. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

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