Enrollment
472
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Walterboro, SC
Forest Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Forest Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450183000337
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 6
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forest Hills Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Walterboro · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Forest Hills Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Hills Elementary ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Walterboro, SC.
School address
District: Colleton 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450183000337 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forest Hills Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forest Hills Elementary
Forest Hills Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Walterboro, South Carolina, enrolling 472 students.
At 14.3:1, 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 472 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 370 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #339, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (49%) and White (35%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 472 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Walterboro's elementary schools, it stands alongside Northside Elementary (428 students): Forest Hills Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 14.8:1).
Colleton 01 also operates Colleton County High (1,352 students) and Colleton County Middle (931 students) alongside Forest Hills 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 Forest Hills Elementary compares
Forest Hills 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 0% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 472 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
472
Bigger than 58% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 54% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
44.3%
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
$13,393
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 472 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.8 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 48.9%
White 35.4%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Two or More 5.3%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 48.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Forest Hills 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 Colleton 01, which includes Forest Hills Elementary.
$13,393
Per student
-8%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.9%
State 44.4%
Federal 18.7%
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 Forest Hills Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleton County High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Colleton County Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northside Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cottageville Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Black Street Early Childhood Center | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forest Hills Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,352
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 931
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 428
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 425
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools in Walterboro
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 (~472 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forest Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Forest Hills Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Colleton 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 Forest Hills Elementary
How many students attend Forest Hills Elementary?
Forest Hills Elementary has 472 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Walterboro, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forest Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Forest Hills Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 0% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Forest Hills Elementary?
100.0% of students at Forest Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forest Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Forest Hills Elementary is African American at 48.9% of enrollment, in Walterboro, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forest Hills Elementary?
Forest Hills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Forest Hills Elementary rank among public schools in Walterboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Forest Hills Elementary ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Walterboro, 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 Walterboro on the city page.
Is Forest Hills Elementary a good school?
Forest Hills Elementary earns 30/100 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 Colleton 01?
Besides Forest Hills Elementary, Colleton 01 also operates Colleton County High (1,352 students), Colleton County Middle (931 students), and Northside Elementary (428 students). See the Colleton 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.