Enrollment
521
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Charleston, SC
Buist Academy
Federal NCES profile for Buist Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450144001382
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buist Academy earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Charleston · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 21.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Buist Academy has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buist Academy ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Charleston, SC.
School address
District: Charleston 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450144001382 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.5%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buist Academy compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buist Academy
Buist Academy is a mid-sized elementary school in Charleston, South Carolina, enrolling 521 students.
At 14.5:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.5% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the South Carolina average.
With 521 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 52 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Charleston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Carolina Voyager Charter (402 students): Buist Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.5:1 vs 13:1).
Charleston 01 also operates Wando High (2,588 students) and Rb Stall High (2,135 students) alongside Buist 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 Buist Academy compares
Buist 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.5% | ▼ 71% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 521 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
521
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 57% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,213
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 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 75.8%
African American 9.6%
Asian 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Two or More 4.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 75.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.9, Buist 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 Charleston 01, which includes Buist Academy.
$15,213
Per student
+4%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.0%
State 27.7%
Federal 13.3%
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 Buist Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wando High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rb Stall High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Ashley High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lucy Garrett Beckham High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Island Charter High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buist Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,588
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,135
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,069
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,757
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,612
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar elementary schools in Charleston
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~521 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buist Academy's federal record.
- Compare Buist Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Charleston 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 Buist Academy
How many students attend Buist Academy?
Buist Academy has 521 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Charleston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buist Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Buist Academy is 14.5:1, which is 1% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buist Academy?
21.5% of students at Buist Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buist Academy?
The largest demographic group at Buist Academy is White at 75.8% of enrollment, in Charleston, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buist Academy?
Buist Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 Buist Academy rank among elementary schools in Charleston?
By Resource Investment Index, Buist Academy ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Charleston, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Charleston on the city page.
Is Buist Academy a good school?
Buist Academy earns 61/100 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 Charleston 01?
Besides Buist Academy, Charleston 01 also operates Wando High (2,588 students), Rb Stall High (2,135 students), and West Ashley High (2,069 students). See the Charleston 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.