Enrollment
151
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Charleston, SC
Charleston Development Academy
Federal NCES profile for Charleston Development Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450144000838Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Charleston Development Academy earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina.
- #1 of 21
- schools in Charleston · Resource Index
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.6:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Charleston Development Academy has class sizes smaller than 82% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Charleston Development Academy ranks #1 of 21 schools in Charleston, SC.
School address
District: Charleston 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450144000838 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Charleston Development Academy compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Charleston Development Academy
Charleston Development Academy is a high-poverty, small charter combined-grade school in Charleston, South Carolina, enrolling 151 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.6:1 puts it in the smaller 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.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of South Carolina schools, with 151 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 57 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 252 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Charleston's public schools, it stands alongside Orange Grove Charter School (1,170 students): Charleston Development Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.6:1 vs 15.8:1).
Charleston 01 also operates Wando High (2,588 students) and Rb Stall High (2,135 students) alongside Charleston Development 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 Charleston Development Academy compares
Charleston Development 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 19% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 151 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
151
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
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
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 18% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.3%
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
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 100.0%
Largest group: African American at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, Charleston Development 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 Charleston Development 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 Charleston Development Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wando High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rb Stall High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Ashley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lucy Garrett Beckham High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Island Charter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Charleston Development 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 other schools in Charleston
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Orange Grove Charter School
Standard public school
1,170 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Daniel Island School
Standard public school
1,151 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Stiles Point Elementary
Standard public school
866 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
St. Andrew's School of Math and Science
Standard public school
769 students 16:1 students per teacher
Springfield Elementary
Standard public school
679 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Drayton Hall Elementary
Standard public school
640 students 16:1 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 (~151 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Charleston Development Academy's federal record.
- Compare Charleston Development 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 Charleston Development Academy
How many students attend Charleston Development Academy?
Charleston Development Academy has 151 students enrolled. It is a public school in Charleston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Charleston Development Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Charleston Development Academy is 11.6:1, which is 19% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 26% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Charleston Development Academy?
100.0% of students at Charleston Development Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Charleston Development Academy?
The largest demographic group at Charleston Development Academy is African American at 100.0% of enrollment, in Charleston, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Charleston Development Academy?
Charleston Development Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (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 Charleston Development Academy rank among schools in Charleston?
By Resource Investment Index, Charleston Development Academy ranks #1 of 21 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 schools in Charleston on the city page.
Is Charleston Development Academy a good school?
Charleston Development Academy earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina. 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 Charleston Development 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.