Enrollment
316
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 450333000881
Ambler Elementary — Pickens, SC
Federal NCES profile for Ambler Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 21
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Pickens 01 · South Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+11% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Ambler Elementary reports 316 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% above the South Carolina state mean of 14.3:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 0% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 68.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 7% below the South Carolina average and 32% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 316 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 31.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Pickens 01 spends $12,307 per pupil district-wide, below the South Carolina average of $17,182 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.4% from local sources (property taxes), 47.7% from the state, and 14.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ambler Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against South Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 11% | 14.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.6% | ▼ 7% | 74.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 316 | top 18% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
15.9:1
students per teacher
— 11% above state mean
Top 75% in South Carolina — lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,307
per pupil, district-wide
— below South Carolina avg of $17,182
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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
Enrollment 316 Top 18% in South Carolina — larger than 82% of 1,215 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 15.9:1 +11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 68.6% -7% vs state
NCES ID 450333000881
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 316:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 31.6%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 13
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pickens 01, which includes Ambler Elementary.
$12,307
Per student
-28%
vs South Carolina
Avg $17,182
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Enrollment
- 1,226
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,222
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,217
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
Similar other schools in Pickens
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Ambler Elementary
How many students attend Ambler Elementary?
Ambler Elementary has 316 students enrolled. It is a other school in Pickens, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ambler Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ambler Elementary is 15.9:1, which is 11% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Pickens, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ambler Elementary?
Ambler Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.