Enrollment
702
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hilton Head Island, SC
Hilton Head Island Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hilton Head Island Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450111000943
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hilton Head Island Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of South Carolina schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Hilton Head Island · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.9:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 44.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Hilton Head Island Elementary has class sizes smaller than 92% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hilton Head Island Elementary ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Hilton Head Island, SC.
School address
District: Beaufort 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450111000943 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
71.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.9:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.9%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hilton Head Island Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hilton Head Island Elementary
Hilton Head Island Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, enrolling 702 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.9:1, Hilton Head Island Elementary is leaner than roughly 92% of South Carolina schools and 31% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 702 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 154 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (53%) and White (33%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 351 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students) and Bluffton High (1,375 students) alongside Hilton Head Island 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 Hilton Head Island Elementary compares
Hilton Head Island 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 | 9.9:1 | ▼ 31% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.9% | ▼ 39% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 702 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.9:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
702
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% below 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
9.9:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 8% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 92% 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 351 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 53.0%
White 33.0%
African American 9.0%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 53.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.0, Hilton Head Island 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 Beaufort 01, which includes Hilton Head Island Elementary.
$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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| May River High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bluffton High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hilton Head Island High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| River Ridge Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beaufort High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hilton Head Island Elementary'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 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 (~702 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hilton Head Island Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hilton Head Island Elementary 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 Elementary
How many students attend Hilton Head Island Elementary?
Hilton Head Island Elementary has 702 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hilton Head Island, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilton Head Island Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hilton Head Island Elementary is 9.9:1, which is 31% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 37% 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 Elementary?
44.9% of students at Hilton Head Island Elementary 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 Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hilton Head Island Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 53.0% 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 60.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hilton Head Island Elementary?
Hilton Head Island 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 Hilton Head Island Elementary rank among public schools in Hilton Head Island?
By Resource Investment Index, Hilton Head Island Elementary ranks #2 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 Elementary a good school?
Hilton Head Island Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% 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 Elementary, 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.