Enrollment
467
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wagener, SC
Cyril B. Busbee Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cyril B. Busbee Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450072001191
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cyril B. Busbee Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Wagener · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Cyril B. Busbee Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cyril B. Busbee Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Wagener, SC.
School address
District: Aiken 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450072001191 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cyril B. Busbee Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cyril B. Busbee Elementary
Cyril B. Busbee Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wagener, South Carolina, enrolling 467 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 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.
With 467 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 370 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #215.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and African American (33%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 467 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Aiken 01 spends $11,604 per pupil, 20% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Aiken 01 also operates North Augusta High (1,645 students) and Midland Valley High (1,558 students) alongside Cyril B. Busbee 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 Cyril B. Busbee Elementary compares
Cyril B. Busbee 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 467 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
467
Bigger than 57% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 39% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.7%
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
$11,604
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 467 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
54
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.1 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
White 48.0%
African American 33.0%
Two or More 10.5%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Largest group: White at 48.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.4, Cyril B. Busbee 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 Aiken 01, which includes Cyril B. Busbee Elementary.
$11,604
Per student
-20%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 45.4%
Federal 15.3%
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 Cyril B. Busbee Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Augusta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Midland Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Aiken High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Aiken High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Silver Bluff High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cyril B. Busbee Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,645
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,558
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,349
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,097
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
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 (~467 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cyril B. Busbee Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cyril B. Busbee Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Aiken 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 Cyril B. Busbee Elementary
How many students attend Cyril B. Busbee Elementary?
Cyril B. Busbee Elementary has 467 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wagener, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cyril B. Busbee Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cyril B. Busbee Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 7% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 15% 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 Cyril B. Busbee Elementary?
100.0% of students at Cyril B. Busbee Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cyril B. Busbee Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cyril B. Busbee Elementary is White at 48.0% of enrollment, in Wagener, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cyril B. Busbee Elementary?
Cyril B. Busbee Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Cyril B. Busbee Elementary rank among public schools in Wagener?
By Resource Investment Index, Cyril B. Busbee Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Wagener, 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 Wagener on the city page.
Is Cyril B. Busbee Elementary a good school?
Cyril B. Busbee Elementary earns 40/100 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 Aiken 01?
Besides Cyril B. Busbee Elementary, Aiken 01 also operates North Augusta High (1,645 students), Midland Valley High (1,558 students), and South Aiken High (1,349 students). See the Aiken 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.