Enrollment
538
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chesterfield, SC
Edwards Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Edwards Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450156000305
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Edwards Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Chesterfield · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Edwards Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Edwards Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Chesterfield, SC.
School address
District: Chesterfield 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450156000305 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Edwards Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Edwards Elementary
Edwards Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Chesterfield, South Carolina, enrolling 538 students.
At 14.5:1, 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 538 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 384 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #106.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 538 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 18.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Chesterfield 01 also operates Central High (657 students) and Cheraw High (603 students) alongside Edwards 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 Edwards Elementary compares
Edwards 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 538 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
538
Bigger than 66% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 57% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,179
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 538 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 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 54.8%
African American 30.9%
Two or More 10.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 54.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.2, Edwards 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 Chesterfield 01, which includes Edwards Elementary.
$13,179
Per student
-9%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.3%
State 52.9%
Federal 18.9%
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 Edwards Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cheraw High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mcbee High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chesterfield High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| New Heights Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Edwards Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 603
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 577
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 457
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
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 (~538 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Edwards Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Edwards Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chesterfield 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 Edwards Elementary
How many students attend Edwards Elementary?
Edwards Elementary has 538 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chesterfield, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Edwards Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Edwards Elementary is 14.5:1, which is 1% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Edwards Elementary?
100.0% of students at Edwards Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Edwards Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Edwards Elementary is White at 54.8% of enrollment, in Chesterfield, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Edwards Elementary?
Edwards Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Edwards Elementary rank among public schools in Chesterfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Edwards Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Chesterfield, 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 Chesterfield on the city page.
Is Edwards Elementary a good school?
Edwards Elementary earns 46/100 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 Chesterfield 01?
Besides Edwards Elementary, Chesterfield 01 also operates Central High (657 students), Cheraw High (603 students), and Mcbee High (577 students). See the Chesterfield 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.