Enrollment
644
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Camden, SC
Camden Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Camden Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450255001258
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Camden Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of South Carolina schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Camden · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.9:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 61.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Camden Elementary has class sizes larger than 83% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Camden Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Camden, SC.
School address
District: Kershaw 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450255001258 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.4%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Camden Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Camden Elementary
Camden Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Camden, South Carolina, enrolling 644 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 61.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 644 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 173 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #146, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and African American (30%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 644 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Camden's public schools, it stands alongside Jackson School (530 students): Camden Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.9:1 vs 13.9:1).
Kershaw 01 also operates Lugoff-Elgin High (1,759 students) and Camden High (1,136 students) alongside Camden 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 Camden Elementary compares
Camden 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 | 16.9:1 | ▲ 18% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.4% | ▼ 17% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 644 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
644
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 83% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
22.2%
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
$11,827
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 644 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 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 49.5%
African American 30.0%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 49.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.2, Camden 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 Kershaw 01, which includes Camden Elementary.
$11,827
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.3%
State 48.1%
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 Camden Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lugoff-Elgin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camden High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Camden Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blaney Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wateree Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Camden Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,759
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,136
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 844
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 750
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Camden
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 (~644 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Camden Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Camden Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kershaw 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 Camden Elementary
How many students attend Camden Elementary?
Camden Elementary has 644 students enrolled. It is a public school in Camden, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Camden Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Camden Elementary is 16.9:1, which is 18% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Camden Elementary?
61.4% of students at Camden Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Camden Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Camden Elementary is White at 49.5% of enrollment, in Camden, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Camden Elementary?
Camden Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Camden Elementary rank among schools in Camden?
By Resource Investment Index, Camden Elementary ranks #4 of 4 schools in Camden, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Camden on the city page.
Is Camden Elementary a good school?
Camden Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Kershaw 01?
Besides Camden Elementary, Kershaw 01 also operates Lugoff-Elgin High (1,759 students), Camden High (1,136 students), and Camden Middle (844 students). See the Kershaw 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.