Edgefield 01

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.

Johnston, South Carolina - 7 schools

An equity score of 68/100 ranks Edgefield 01 #16 of 73 districts in South Carolina (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,235 per pupil, Edgefield 01 ranks #16 of 74 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (South Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,100
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$15,235
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Edgefield 01 operates 7 public schools serving 3,100 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 2 middle, 1 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Edgefield County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,235 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper 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 34.6% local, 47.9% state, and 17.6% 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 68/100, ranked #16 of 73 in South Carolina against a state average of 51, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 315.6:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 23.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 40.7% White, 40.0% African American, 12.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Douglas Elementary, with a diversity index of 69.7/100.

Its largest campus is Merriwether Elementary, enrolling 760 students (25% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Douglas Elementary, at 215 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Merriwether Elementary accounts for 24.5% of all Edgefield 01 student enrollment

That concentration means Edgefield 01-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Edgefield 01 school enrollment varies 3.5× across entities

Edgefield 01 school enrollment ranges from 215 students (lowest) to 760 students (highest), a spread of 545 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

Edgefield 01 has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 77.6% 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

Edgefield 01 student-counselor ratio is 316:1 — 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 Edgefield 01 is typically wider than the Edgefield 01-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Edgefield 01 chronic absenteeism rate is 23.4% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

17.6%
Federal
47.9%
State
34.6%
Local

Funding Equity

68
Equity Score
16 / 73
State Rank
51
State Average

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

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Edgefield 01.

White 40.7%
Hispanic or Latino 12.1%
African American 40.0%
Multiracial 6.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 60.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Edgefield 01's schools, above the South Carolina average of 52.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Douglas Elementary 69.7
  2. 2 Strom Thurmond High 64.5
  3. 3 Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle 62.8
  4. 4 Johnston Elementary 60.5
  5. 5 W. E. Parker Elementary 60.4

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
315.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
23.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Edgefield 01

School Enrollment
Merriwether Elementary
760
Strom Thurmond High
720
Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle
394
Merriwether Middle
365
W. E. Parker Elementary
339
Johnston Elementary
276
Douglas Elementary
215

How Edgefield 01 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The South Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Anderson 04 Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Florence 03 Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Williamsburg 01 Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Spartanburg 04 Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Abbeville 60 Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Edgefield 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

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 · $11,859/pupil
Compare vs Edgefield 01 →
Charleston 01
49,929 students · 82 schools · $15,213/pupil
Compare vs Edgefield 01 →
Horry 01
47,357 students · 57 schools · $12,785/pupil
Compare vs Edgefield 01 →
Berkeley 01
37,932 students · 46 schools · $11,201/pupil
Compare vs Edgefield 01 →
Richland 02
28,510 students · 32 schools · $13,517/pupil
Compare vs Edgefield 01 →

Compare Edgefield 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 Edgefield 01?

Edgefield 01 has 7 schools, including 4 combined, 1 high, 2 middle. Total enrollment is 3,100 students.

How much does Edgefield 01 spend per student?

Edgefield 01 spends $15,235 per student. The district has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #16 in South Carolina.

What is the demographic composition of Edgefield 01?

Edgefield 01 students are 40.7% White, 40.0% African American, 12.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Edgefield 01?

Edgefield 01 has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #16 out of 73 districts in South Carolina.