Enrollment
579
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Seneca, SC
Blue Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Blue Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450306001528
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blue Ridge Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of South Carolina schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Seneca · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.4:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Blue Ridge Elementary has class sizes smaller than 84% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Ridge Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Seneca, SC.
School address
District: Oconee 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450306001528 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blue Ridge Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blue Ridge Elementary
Blue Ridge Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Seneca, South Carolina, enrolling 579 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.4:1 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.
With 579 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 368 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #21, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 290 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Seneca's public schools, it stands alongside Northside Elementary (616 students): Blue Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.4:1 vs 12.3:1).
Oconee 01 also operates Walhalla High (1,118 students) and Seneca High (1,051 students) alongside Blue Ridge 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 Blue Ridge Elementary compares
Blue Ridge 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 579 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
579
Bigger than 71% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 16% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.0%
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
$13,875
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 290 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
58
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.3 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 44.9%
African American 21.2%
Hispanic or Latino 17.8%
Two or More 14.7%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 44.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.0, Blue Ridge Elementary is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oconee 01, which includes Blue Ridge Elementary.
$13,875
Per student
-5%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 39.2%
Federal 18.4%
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 Blue Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walhalla High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Seneca High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walhalla Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Seneca Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West-Oak High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Blue Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,118
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 829
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Seneca
3 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 (~579 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blue Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Blue Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Oconee 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 Blue Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Blue Ridge Elementary?
Blue Ridge Elementary has 579 students enrolled. It is a public school in Seneca, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blue Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Blue Ridge Elementary is 11.4:1, which is 20% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 27% 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 Blue Ridge Elementary?
100.0% of students at Blue Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blue Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Blue Ridge Elementary is White at 44.9% of enrollment, in Seneca, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blue Ridge Elementary?
Blue Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 Blue Ridge Elementary rank among schools in Seneca?
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Ridge Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Seneca, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Seneca on the city page.
Is Blue Ridge Elementary a good school?
Blue Ridge Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Oconee 01?
Besides Blue Ridge Elementary, Oconee 01 also operates Walhalla High (1,118 students), Seneca High (1,051 students), and Walhalla Middle (857 students). See the Oconee 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.