Enrollment
478
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pelion, SC
Forts Pond Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Forts Pond Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450270001514
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Forts Pond Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Pelion · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Forts Pond Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Forts Pond Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Pelion, SC.
School address
District: Lexington 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450270001514 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Forts Pond Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Forts Pond Elementary
Forts Pond Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pelion, South Carolina, enrolling 478 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 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 478 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 372 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #68.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 239 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Pelion's public schools, it stands alongside Pelion Elementary (642 students): Forts Pond Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.6:1 vs 12.1:1).
Lexington 01 also operates Lexington High (2,536 students) and River Bluff High (2,117 students) alongside Forts Pond 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 Forts Pond Elementary compares
Forts Pond 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 478 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
478
Bigger than 59% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 29% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.8%
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
$13,017
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 239 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 60.0%
Hispanic or Latino 23.8%
African American 8.4%
Two or More 7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 60.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.1, Forts Pond 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 Lexington 01, which includes Forts Pond Elementary.
$13,017
Per student
-11%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.8%
State 51.0%
Federal 8.2%
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 Forts Pond Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| River Bluff High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| White Knoll High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gilbert High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beechwood Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Forts Pond Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,536
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 2,117
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,025
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,138
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,033
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Pelion
1 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 (~478 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Forts Pond Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Forts Pond Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lexington 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 Forts Pond Elementary
How many students attend Forts Pond Elementary?
Forts Pond Elementary has 478 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pelion, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Forts Pond Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Forts Pond Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 12% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 20% 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 Forts Pond Elementary?
100.0% of students at Forts Pond Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Forts Pond Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Forts Pond Elementary is White at 60.0% of enrollment, in Pelion, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Forts Pond Elementary?
Forts Pond Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Forts Pond Elementary rank among public schools in Pelion?
By Resource Investment Index, Forts Pond Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Pelion, 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 Pelion on the city page.
Is Forts Pond Elementary a good school?
Forts Pond Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of 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 Lexington 01?
Besides Forts Pond Elementary, Lexington 01 also operates Lexington High (2,536 students), River Bluff High (2,117 students), and White Knoll High (2,025 students). See the Lexington 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.