Enrollment
301
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hilton Head Island, SC
Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center
Federal NCES profile for Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450111000941
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of South Carolina schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Hilton Head Island · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.4:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 22.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center has class sizes smaller than 94% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Hilton Head Island, SC.
School address
District: Beaufort 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450111000941 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center
Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, enrolling 301 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.4:1, Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center is leaner than roughly 94% of South Carolina schools and 34% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 22.0% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the South Carolina average.
Enrollment of 301 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 19 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #16, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (59%) and White (23%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 301 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Hilton Head Island's public schools, it stands alongside Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts (496 students): Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.4:1 vs 9.5:1).
Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students) and Bluffton High (1,375 students) alongside Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center.
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 Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center compares
Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center 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 | 9.4:1 | ▼ 34% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.0% | ▼ 70% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 301 | top 83% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.4:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
301
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
9.4:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 6% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$16,066
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 301 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 59.1%
White 22.6%
African American 14.0%
Two or More 4.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 59.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beaufort 01, which includes Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center.
$16,066
Per student
+10%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.5%
State 30.2%
Federal 13.4%
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 Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| May River High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bluffton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hilton Head Island High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| River Ridge Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beaufort High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,731
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 1,104
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Hilton Head Island
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 (~301 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center's federal record.
- Compare Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center against another school. Compare schools
- Beaufort 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 Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center
How many students attend Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center?
Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center has 301 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hilton Head Island, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center is 9.4:1, which is 34% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 40% 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 Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center?
22.0% of students at Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center?
The largest demographic group at Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center is Hispanic or Latino at 59.1% of enrollment, in Hilton Head Island, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center?
Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center rank among public schools in Hilton Head Island?
By Resource Investment Index, Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Hilton Head Island, 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 Hilton Head Island on the city page.
Is Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center a good school?
Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% 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 Beaufort 01?
Besides Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center, Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students), Bluffton High (1,375 students), and Hilton Head Island High (1,265 students). See the Beaufort 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.