Enrollment
636
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Elgin, SC
Catawba Trail Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Catawba Trail Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450339001572
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Catawba Trail Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Elgin · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 59.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Catawba Trail Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Catawba Trail Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Elgin, SC.
School address
District: Richland 02 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450339001572 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.4%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Catawba Trail Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Catawba Trail Elementary
Catawba Trail Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Elgin, South Carolina, enrolling 636 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 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 59.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 636 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 172 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #85.
Its student body is led by African American (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 636 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Elgin's public schools, it stands alongside Pontiac Elementary (880 students): Catawba Trail Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 16.3:1).
Richland 02 also operates Spring Valley High (2,230 students) and Blythewood High (2,164 students) alongside Catawba Trail 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 Catawba Trail Elementary compares
Catawba Trail 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.4% | ▼ 20% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 636 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
636
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,517
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 636 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 47.3%
Hispanic or Latino 28.2%
White 17.2%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 2.1%
Largest group: African American at 47.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.4, Catawba Trail 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 Richland 02, which includes Catawba Trail Elementary.
$13,517
Per student
-7%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.0%
State 47.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Catawba Trail Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blythewood High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westwood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge View High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richland Northeast High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Catawba Trail Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,230
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,164
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,743
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,631
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,340
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Elgin
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pontiac Elementary
Standard public school
880 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Blaney Elementary
Standard public school
750 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Bridge Creek Elementary
Standard public school
564 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Bookman Road Elementary
Standard public school
535 students 12.7:1 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 (~636 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Catawba Trail Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Catawba Trail Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 02'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 Catawba Trail Elementary
How many students attend Catawba Trail Elementary?
Catawba Trail Elementary has 636 students enrolled. It is a public school in Elgin, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Catawba Trail Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Catawba Trail Elementary is 15.5:1, which is 8% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Catawba Trail Elementary?
59.4% of students at Catawba Trail Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Catawba Trail Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Catawba Trail Elementary is African American at 47.3% of enrollment, in Elgin, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Catawba Trail Elementary?
Catawba Trail Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Catawba Trail Elementary rank among schools in Elgin?
By Resource Investment Index, Catawba Trail Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Elgin, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Elgin on the city page.
Is Catawba Trail Elementary a good school?
Catawba Trail Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Richland 02?
Besides Catawba Trail Elementary, Richland 02 also operates Spring Valley High (2,230 students), Blythewood High (2,164 students), and Westwood High (1,743 students). See the Richland 02 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.