Enrollment
603
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gaffney, SC
B. D. Lee Elementary
Federal NCES profile for B. D. Lee Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450150000278
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
B. D. Lee Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #6 of 8
- schools in Gaffney · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
B. D. Lee Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, B. D. Lee Elementary ranks #6 of 8 schools in Gaffney, SC.
School address
District: Cherokee 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450150000278 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How B. D. Lee Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at B. D. Lee Elementary
B. D. Lee Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gaffney, South Carolina, enrolling 603 students.
At 14.7:1, 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 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 603 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 352 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #220.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and White (19%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 302 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Gaffney's public schools, it stands alongside Cherokee Charter School (633 students): B. D. Lee Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.7:1 vs 12.9:1).
Cherokee 01 also operates Gaffney High (1,827 students) and Gaffney Middle (851 students) alongside B. D. Lee 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 B. D. Lee Elementary compares
B. D. Lee 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 603 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
603
Bigger than 73% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 60% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
50.4%
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
$14,030
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 302 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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
African American 65.2%
White 19.1%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 1.7%
Largest group: African American at 65.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.7, B. D. Lee Elementary is about as mixed as the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cherokee 01, which includes B. D. Lee Elementary.
$14,030
Per student
-4%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.3%
State 45.1%
Federal 16.6%
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 B. D. Lee Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaffney High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaffney Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Grassy Pond Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blacksburg High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Limestone-Central Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to B. D. Lee Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,827
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Gaffney
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cherokee Charter School
Standard public school
633 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Grassy Pond Elementary
Standard public school
519 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Limestone-Central Elementary
Standard public school
436 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Northwest Elementary
Standard public school
423 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary
Standard public school
399 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Corinth Elementary
Standard public school
292 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~603 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on B. D. Lee Elementary's federal record.
- Compare B. D. Lee Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cherokee 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 B. D. Lee Elementary
How many students attend B. D. Lee Elementary?
B. D. Lee Elementary has 603 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gaffney, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at B. D. Lee Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at B. D. Lee Elementary is 14.7:1, which is 3% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at B. D. Lee Elementary?
100.0% of students at B. D. Lee Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of B. D. Lee Elementary?
The largest demographic group at B. D. Lee Elementary is African American at 65.2% of enrollment, in Gaffney, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for B. D. Lee Elementary?
B. D. Lee Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 B. D. Lee Elementary rank among schools in Gaffney?
By Resource Investment Index, B. D. Lee Elementary ranks #6 of 8 schools in Gaffney, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gaffney on the city page.
Is B. D. Lee Elementary a good school?
B. D. Lee Elementary earns 38/100 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 Cherokee 01?
Besides B. D. Lee Elementary, Cherokee 01 also operates Gaffney High (1,827 students), Gaffney Middle (851 students), and Grassy Pond Elementary (519 students). See the Cherokee 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.