Enrollment
118
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Trenton, SC
Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy
Federal NCES profile for Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450390101695Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Trenton · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy has class sizes smaller than 81% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Trenton, SC.
School address
District: Sc Public Charter School District · South Carolina
NCES ID 450390101695 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy
Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy is a high-poverty, small charter elementary school in Trenton, South Carolina, enrolling 118 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 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.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 97% of South Carolina schools, with 118 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 29 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #13.
Its student body is predominantly African American (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Sc Public Charter School District spends $22,523 per pupil, 55% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students) and Legacy Early College (1,592 students) alongside Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy.
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 Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy compares
Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 17% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 118 | top 97% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
118
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 19% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.0%
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
$22,523
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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
African American 81.4%
White 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 1.7%
Largest group: African American at 81.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.2, Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sc Public Charter School District, which includes Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy.
$22,523
Per student
+55%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.8%
State 80.6%
Federal 13.6%
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 Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Preparatory Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Legacy Early College | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bridges Preparatory School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| High Point Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Green Charter School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,672
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,592
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~118 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy's federal record.
- Compare Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Sc Public Charter School District'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 Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy
How many students attend Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy?
Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy has 118 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Trenton, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy is 11.8:1, which is 17% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 25% 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 Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy?
100.0% of students at Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy?
The largest demographic group at Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy is African American at 81.4% of enrollment, in Trenton, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy?
Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy rank among public schools in Trenton?
By Resource Investment Index, Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Trenton, 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 Trenton on the city page.
Is Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy a good school?
Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina. 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 Sc Public Charter School District?
Besides Bettis Preparatory Leadership Academy, Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students), Legacy Early College (1,592 students), and Bridges Preparatory School (1,472 students). See the Sc Public Charter School District district page for the complete list.
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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.