Enrollment
447
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Laurens, SC
E. B. Morse Elementary
Federal NCES profile for E. B. Morse Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450261000696
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
E. B. Morse Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Laurens · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
E. B. Morse Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, E. B. Morse Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Laurens, SC.
School address
District: Laurens 55 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450261000696 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How E. B. Morse Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at E. B. Morse Elementary
E. B. Morse Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Laurens, South Carolina, enrolling 447 students.
At 14:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
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 447 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 362 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #166.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and White (37%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 447 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 20.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 100 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 447 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Laurens's public schools, it stands alongside Laurens Elementary (465 students): E. B. Morse Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14:1 vs 12.9:1).
Laurens 55 also operates Laurens District 55 High (1,434 students) and Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle (715 students) alongside E. B. Morse 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 E. B. Morse Elementary compares
E. B. Morse 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 2% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 447 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
447
Bigger than 54% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 50% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.5%
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
$13,000
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 447 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.4 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
African American 53.7%
White 36.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 53.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.2, E. B. Morse 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 Laurens 55, which includes E. B. Morse Elementary.
$13,000
Per student
-11%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.9%
State 49.5%
Federal 20.6%
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 E. B. Morse Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurens District 55 High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hickory Tavern Elementary/Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Laurens Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ford Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to E. B. Morse Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Laurens
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~447 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on E. B. Morse Elementary's federal record.
- Compare E. B. Morse Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Laurens 55'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 E. B. Morse Elementary
How many students attend E. B. Morse Elementary?
E. B. Morse Elementary has 447 students enrolled. It is a public school in Laurens, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at E. B. Morse Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at E. B. Morse Elementary is 14:1, which is 2% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 11% 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 E. B. Morse Elementary?
100.0% of students at E. B. Morse Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of E. B. Morse Elementary?
The largest demographic group at E. B. Morse Elementary is African American at 53.7% of enrollment, in Laurens, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for E. B. Morse Elementary?
E. B. Morse Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 E. B. Morse Elementary rank among schools in Laurens?
By Resource Investment Index, E. B. Morse Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Laurens, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Laurens on the city page.
Is E. B. Morse Elementary a good school?
E. B. Morse Elementary earns 43/100 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 Laurens 55?
Besides E. B. Morse Elementary, Laurens 55 also operates Laurens District 55 High (1,434 students), Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle (715 students), and Hickory Tavern Elementary/Middle (623 students). See the Laurens 55 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.