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Columbia, South Carolina - 47 schools
An equity score of 67/100 ranks Richland 01 #18 of 73 districts in South Carolina (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $18,122 per pupil, Richland 01 ranks #7 of 74 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (South Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
22,037
Total Enrollment
47
Schools
$18,122
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Richland 01 operates 47 public schools serving 22,037 students, placing it in the mid-size range in South Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 28 combined, 9 middle, 8 high, 2 elementary 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 Richland County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,122 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 8 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 58.1% local, 28.3% state, and 13.6% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 67/100, ranked #18 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 7 of 47 schools offering Advanced Placement (56 AP courses district-wide), a 295.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 35.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 70.1% African American, 14.5% White, 8.7% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is A. C. Moore Elementary, with a diversity index of 69.4/100.
Its largest campus is A. C. Flora High, enrolling 1,328 students (6% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pendergrass Fairwold School, at 46 students, a 29x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Richland 01 school enrollment varies 29× across entities
Richland 01 school enrollment ranges from 46 students (lowest) to 1,328 students (highest), a spread of 1,282 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Richland 01 has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 99.9% 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). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding 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.
Richland 01 student-counselor ratio is 296:1 — 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 Richland 01 is typically wider than the Richland 01-aggregate figure suggests.
Richland 01 chronic absenteeism rate is 35.1% — 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.
Richland 01 has 47 schools, including 8 high, 9 middle, 28 combined, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 22,037 students.
How much does Richland 01 spend per student?
Richland 01 spends $18,122 per student. The district has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #18 in South Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Richland 01?
Richland 01 students are 70.1% African American, 14.5% White, 8.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% Asian, averaged across 47 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Richland 01?
Richland 01 has an equity score of 67/100, ranking #18 out of 73 districts in South Carolina.