Enrollment
499
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Central, SC
Central Academy of the Arts
Federal NCES profile for Central Academy of the Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450333000882
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Academy of the Arts earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Central · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Academy of the Arts has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Academy of the Arts ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Central, SC.
School address
District: Pickens 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450333000882 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Academy of the Arts compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Academy of the Arts
Central Academy of the Arts is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Central, South Carolina, enrolling 499 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger 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 499 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.
Against 382 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #267.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 499 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pickens 01 spends $10,622 per pupil, 27% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Pickens 01 also operates Easley High (1,862 students) and Pickens High (1,226 students) alongside Central Academy of the Arts.
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 Central Academy of the Arts compares
Central Academy of the Arts 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 499 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
499
Bigger than 62% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 65% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.3%
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
$10,622
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 499 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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 56.1%
African American 15.8%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%
Two or More 10.4%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 56.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.5, Central Academy of the Arts is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pickens 01, which includes Central Academy of the Arts.
$10,622
Per student
-27%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 47.7%
Federal 14.9%
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 Central Academy of the Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pickens High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| D. W. Daniel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richard H. Gettys Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| R. C. Edwards Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Academy of the Arts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,226
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,222
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,217
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~499 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Academy of the Arts's federal record.
- Compare Central Academy of the Arts against another school. Compare schools
- Pickens 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 Central Academy of the Arts
How many students attend Central Academy of the Arts?
Central Academy of the Arts has 499 students enrolled. It is a public school in Central, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Academy of the Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Academy of the Arts is 15.1:1, which is 6% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Academy of the Arts?
100.0% of students at Central Academy of the Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Academy of the Arts?
The largest demographic group at Central Academy of the Arts is White at 56.1% of enrollment, in Central, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Academy of the Arts?
Central Academy of the Arts 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 Central Academy of the Arts rank among public schools in Central?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Academy of the Arts ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Central, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Central on the city page.
Is Central Academy of the Arts a good school?
Central Academy of the Arts earns 37/100 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 Pickens 01?
Besides Central Academy of the Arts, Pickens 01 also operates Easley High (1,862 students), Pickens High (1,226 students), and D. W. Daniel High (1,222 students). See the Pickens 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.