Enrollment
316
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pickens, SC
Ambler Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ambler Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450333000881
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ambler Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Pickens · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 68.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Ambler Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ambler Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Pickens, SC.
School address
District: Pickens 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450333000881 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.6%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ambler Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ambler Elementary
Ambler Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pickens, South Carolina, enrolling 316 students.
At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 68.6% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 316 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 50 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #41, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 316 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pickens 01 spends $10,622 per pupil, 27% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Pickens's public schools, it stands alongside Hagood Elementary (567 students): Ambler Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 16.7:1).
Pickens 01 also operates Easley High (1,862 students) and Pickens High (1,226 students) alongside Ambler Elementary.
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 Ambler Elementary compares
Ambler Elementary 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.6% | ▼ 7% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 316 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
316
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 45% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.6%
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
$10,622
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 316 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 87.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
African American 3.8%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 87.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.7, Ambler Elementary is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pickens 01, which includes Ambler Elementary.
$10,622
Per student
-27%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 47.7%
Federal 14.9%
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 Ambler Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pickens High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| D. W. Daniel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richard H. Gettys Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| R. C. Edwards Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ambler Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,226
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,222
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,217
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Pickens
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~316 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ambler Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ambler Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Pickens 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 Ambler Elementary
How many students attend Ambler Elementary?
Ambler Elementary has 316 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pickens, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ambler Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ambler Elementary is 13.7:1, which is 4% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 13% 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 Ambler Elementary?
68.6% of students at Ambler Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ambler Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ambler Elementary is White at 87.7% of enrollment, in Pickens, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ambler Elementary?
Ambler Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ambler Elementary rank among schools in Pickens?
By Resource Investment Index, Ambler Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Pickens, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Pickens on the city page.
Is Ambler Elementary a good school?
Ambler Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools. 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 Pickens 01?
Besides Ambler Elementary, Pickens 01 also operates Easley High (1,862 students), Pickens High (1,226 students), and D. W. Daniel High (1,222 students). See the Pickens 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.