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Columbia, South Carolina - 32 schools
An equity score of 35/100 ranks Richland 02 #57 of 73 districts in South Carolina (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,517 per pupil, Richland 02 ranks #38 of 74 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (South Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
28,510
Total Enrollment
32
Schools
$13,517
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Richland 02 operates 32 public schools serving 28,510 students, placing it in the mid-size range in South Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 19 combined, 5 high, 5 elementary, 3 middle 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 $13,517 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 42.0% local, 47.7% state, and 10.3% 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 35/100, ranked #57 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 5 of 32 schools offering Advanced Placement (85 AP courses district-wide), a 512.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 20.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 63.1% African American, 14.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus, with a diversity index of 67.9/100.
Its largest campus is Spring Valley High, enrolling 2,230 students (8% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Joseph Keels Elementary, at 465 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Richland 02 school enrollment varies 4.8× across entities
Richland 02 school enrollment ranges from 465 students (lowest) to 2,230 students (highest), a spread of 1,765 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.
Richland 02 has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 68.9% 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 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.
Richland 02 student-counselor ratio is 513:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)
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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.
Richland 02 chronic absenteeism rate is 20.1% — 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 Richland 02 is typically wider than the Richland 02-aggregate figure suggests.
Richland 02 has 32 schools, including 5 high, 5 elementary, 3 middle, 19 combined. Total enrollment is 28,510 students.
How much does Richland 02 spend per student?
Richland 02 spends $13,517 per student. The district has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #57 in South Carolina.
What is the demographic composition of Richland 02?
Richland 02 students are 63.1% African American, 14.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% White, 2.3% Asian, averaged across 32 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Richland 02?
Richland 02 has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #57 out of 73 districts in South Carolina.