Enrollment
329
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chester, SC
Academy for Teaching and Learning
Federal NCES profile for Academy for Teaching and Learning, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450153001020Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Academy for Teaching and Learning earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Academy for Teaching and Learning has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Academy for Teaching and Learning ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Chester, SC.
School address
District: Chester 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450153001020 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Academy for Teaching and Learning compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Academy for Teaching and Learning
Academy for Teaching and Learning is a high-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Chester, South Carolina, enrolling 329 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 329 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 265 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #28, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 33/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Chester 01 also operates Chester Senior High (699 students) and Lewisville Elementary (594 students) alongside Academy for Teaching and Learning.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Academy for Teaching and Learning compares
Academy for Teaching and Learning on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▼ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 329 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
329
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 37% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,214
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 79.9%
African American 16.4%
Two or More 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 79.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.4, Academy for Teaching and Learning is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chester 01, which includes Academy for Teaching and Learning.
$14,214
Per student
-2%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 45.8%
Federal 20.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Academy for Teaching and Learning Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lewisville Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chester Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lewisville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Great Falls High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Academy for Teaching and Learning's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 699
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 479
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~329 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Academy for Teaching and Learning's federal record.
- Compare Academy for Teaching and Learning against another school. Compare schools
- Chester 01's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Academy for Teaching and Learning
How many students attend Academy for Teaching and Learning?
Academy for Teaching and Learning has 329 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chester, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Academy for Teaching and Learning?
The student-teacher ratio at Academy for Teaching and Learning is 13.2:1, which is 8% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 16% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Academy for Teaching and Learning?
100.0% of students at Academy for Teaching and Learning are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Academy for Teaching and Learning?
The largest demographic group at Academy for Teaching and Learning is White at 79.9% of enrollment, in Chester, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Academy for Teaching and Learning?
Academy for Teaching and Learning has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Academy for Teaching and Learning rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Academy for Teaching and Learning ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Chester, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Chester on the city page.
Is Academy for Teaching and Learning a good school?
Academy for Teaching and Learning earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Chester 01?
Besides Academy for Teaching and Learning, Chester 01 also operates Chester Senior High (699 students), Lewisville Elementary (594 students), and Chester Middle (479 students). See the Chester 01 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.