Enrollment
279
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Orangeburg, SC
Felton Laboratory Charter School
Federal NCES profile for Felton Laboratory Charter School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450390101401Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 72
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Felton Laboratory Charter School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Orangeburg · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.4:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Felton Laboratory Charter School has class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Felton Laboratory Charter School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Orangeburg, SC.
School address
District: Sc Public Charter School District · South Carolina
NCES ID 450390101401 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Felton Laboratory Charter School compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Felton Laboratory Charter School
Felton Laboratory Charter School is a high-poverty, small charter elementary school in Orangeburg, South Carolina, enrolling 279 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.4:1 is larger than about 87% of South Carolina schools and 22% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
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 279 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 196 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #16, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 140 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
17.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Sc Public Charter School District spends $22,523 per pupil, 55% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Orangeburg's elementary schools, it stands alongside Edisto Elementary (419 students): Felton Laboratory Charter School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.4:1 vs 14.4:1).
Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students) and Legacy Early College (1,592 students) alongside Felton Laboratory Charter School.
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 Felton Laboratory Charter School compares
Felton Laboratory Charter School 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 22% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 279 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
279
Bigger than 29% 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$22,523
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 140 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 85.3%
Asian 5.4%
Two or More 5.4%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
White 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 85.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.5, Felton Laboratory Charter School is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sc Public Charter School District, which includes Felton Laboratory Charter School.
$22,523
Per student
+55%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.8%
State 80.6%
Federal 13.6%
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 Felton Laboratory Charter School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Preparatory Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Legacy Early College | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bridges Preparatory School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| High Point Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Green Charter School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Felton Laboratory Charter School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,672
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,592
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Orangeburg
2 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 (~279 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Felton Laboratory Charter School's federal record.
- Compare Felton Laboratory Charter School against another school. Compare schools
- Sc Public Charter School District'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 Felton Laboratory Charter School
How many students attend Felton Laboratory Charter School?
Felton Laboratory Charter School has 279 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Orangeburg, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Felton Laboratory Charter School?
The student-teacher ratio at Felton Laboratory Charter School is 17.4:1, which is 22% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Felton Laboratory Charter School?
100.0% of students at Felton Laboratory Charter School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Felton Laboratory Charter School?
The largest demographic group at Felton Laboratory Charter School is African American at 85.3% of enrollment, in Orangeburg, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Felton Laboratory Charter School?
Felton Laboratory Charter School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Felton Laboratory Charter School rank among elementary schools in Orangeburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Felton Laboratory Charter School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Orangeburg, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Orangeburg on the city page.
Is Felton Laboratory Charter School a good school?
Felton Laboratory Charter School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Sc Public Charter School District?
Besides Felton Laboratory Charter School, Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students), Legacy Early College (1,592 students), and Bridges Preparatory School (1,472 students). See the Sc Public Charter School District district page for the complete list.
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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.