Enrollment
792
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lancaster, SC
Buford Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Buford Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450258000671
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buford Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of South Carolina schools.
- #5 of 6
- schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 62.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Buford Elementary has class sizes larger than 95% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buford Elementary ranks #5 of 6 schools in Lancaster, SC.
School address
District: Lancaster 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450258000671 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.8%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buford Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buford Elementary
Buford Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lancaster, South Carolina, enrolling 792 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.3:1 is larger than about 95% of South Carolina schools and 35% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 62.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 792 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 174 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #91.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 396 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lancaster's public schools, it stands alongside Van Wyck Elementary (820 students): Buford Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.3:1 vs 16.7:1).
Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students) and Lancaster High (1,390 students) alongside Buford 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 Buford Elementary compares
Buford 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 | 19.3:1 | ▲ 35% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.8% | ▼ 15% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 792 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
792
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 95% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,853
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 396 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 83 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.5 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 83.1%
African American 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Two or More 5.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 83.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.0, Buford Elementary is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lancaster 01, which includes Buford Elementary.
$11,853
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.3%
State 46.8%
Federal 16.9%
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 Buford Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Land High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lancaster High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harrisburg Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buford Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,905
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,102
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar other schools in Lancaster
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Van Wyck Elementary
Standard public school
820 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
North Elementary
Standard public school
645 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Erwin Elementary
Standard public school
418 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Clinton Elementary
Standard public school
412 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Brooklyn Springs Elementary
Standard public school
398 students 13.7:1 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 (~792 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buford Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Buford Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lancaster 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 Buford Elementary
How many students attend Buford Elementary?
Buford Elementary has 792 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lancaster, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buford Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Buford Elementary is 19.3:1, which is 35% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buford Elementary?
62.8% of students at Buford Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buford Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Buford Elementary is White at 83.1% of enrollment, in Lancaster, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buford Elementary?
Buford Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Buford Elementary rank among schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Buford Elementary ranks #5 of 6 schools in Lancaster, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lancaster on the city page.
Is Buford Elementary a good school?
Buford Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Lancaster 01?
Besides Buford Elementary, Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students), Lancaster High (1,390 students), and Indian Land Intermediate (1,181 students). See the Lancaster 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.