Enrollment
557
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Barnwell, SC
Barnwell High
Federal NCES profile for Barnwell High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450108000132
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Barnwell High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Barnwell · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Barnwell High has class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Barnwell High ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Barnwell, SC.
School address
District: Barnwell 45 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450108000132 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
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 Barnwell High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Barnwell High
Barnwell High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Barnwell, South Carolina, enrolling 557 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger 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.
With 557 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 375 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #99.
Its student body is led by African American (47%) and White (42%) (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 279 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 283 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 557 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 13 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Barnwell 45 also operates Barnwell Primary (680 students) and Barnwell Elementary (425 students) alongside Barnwell High.
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 Barnwell High compares
Barnwell High 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 557 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
557
Bigger than 68% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.5%
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
$14,593
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 279 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
188
in-school suspensions + 95 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 33.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 50.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 13 expulsions.
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 47.0%
White 41.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 47.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.2, Barnwell High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Barnwell 45, which includes Barnwell High.
$14,593
Per student
+0%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.8%
State 50.3%
Federal 26.9%
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 Barnwell High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell Primary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Barnwell Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Guinyard-Butler Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Barnwell High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 680
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 335
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar high 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 (~557 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Barnwell High's federal record.
- Compare Barnwell High against another school. Compare schools
- Barnwell 45'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 Barnwell High
How many students attend Barnwell High?
Barnwell High has 557 students enrolled. It is a high school in Barnwell, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Barnwell High?
The student-teacher ratio at Barnwell High is 15.5:1, which is 8% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Barnwell High?
100.0% of students at Barnwell High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Barnwell High?
The largest demographic group at Barnwell High is African American at 47.0% of enrollment, in Barnwell, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Barnwell High?
Barnwell High has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Barnwell High rank among public schools in Barnwell?
By Resource Investment Index, Barnwell High ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Barnwell, 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 Barnwell on the city page.
Is Barnwell High a good school?
Barnwell High earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of 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 Barnwell 45?
Besides Barnwell High, Barnwell 45 also operates Barnwell Primary (680 students), Barnwell Elementary (425 students), and Guinyard-Butler Middle (335 students). See the Barnwell 45 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.