Enrollment
352
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · West Columbia, SC
Congaree Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Congaree Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450273000730
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Congaree Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of South Carolina schools.
- #4 of 14
- public schools in West Columbia · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Congaree Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Congaree Elementary ranks #4 of 14 public schools in West Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Lexington 02 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450273000730 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Congaree Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Congaree Elementary
Congaree Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in West Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 352 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 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.
Enrollment of 352 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 293 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #53.
Its student body is led by White (40%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 352 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among West Columbia's elementary schools, it stands alongside Saluda River Academy for the Arts (400 students): Congaree Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 13.8:1).
Lexington 02 also operates Airport High (1,272 students) and Brookland-Cayce High (1,212 students) alongside Congaree 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 Congaree Elementary compares
Congaree 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 352 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
352
Bigger than 40% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 29% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,320
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 352 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.9 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 39.8%
Hispanic or Latino 31.5%
African American 21.3%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 39.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.3, Congaree 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 Lexington 02, which includes Congaree Elementary.
$14,320
Per student
-2%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 17.2%
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 Congaree Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brookland-Cayce High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverbank Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cayce Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Herbert a. Wood Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Congaree Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,212
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 996
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 977
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 938
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in West Columbia
1 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 (~352 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Congaree Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Congaree Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lexington 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 Congaree Elementary
How many students attend Congaree Elementary?
Congaree Elementary has 352 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in West Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Congaree Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Congaree Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 12% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 20% 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 Congaree Elementary?
100.0% of students at Congaree Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Congaree Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Congaree Elementary is White at 39.8% of enrollment, in West Columbia, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Congaree Elementary?
Congaree Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Congaree Elementary rank among public schools in West Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Congaree Elementary ranks #4 of 14 public schools in West Columbia, 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 West Columbia on the city page.
Is Congaree Elementary a good school?
Congaree Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Lexington 02?
Besides Congaree Elementary, Lexington 02 also operates Airport High (1,272 students), Brookland-Cayce High (1,212 students), and Riverbank Elementary (996 students). See the Lexington 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.