Enrollment
496
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hilton Head Island, SC
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts
Federal NCES profile for Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450111000942
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 99
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Hilton Head Island · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.5:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 55.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts has class sizes smaller than 93% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Hilton Head Island, SC.
School address
District: Beaufort 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450111000942 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.4%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, enrolling 496 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.5:1, Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts is leaner than roughly 93% of South Carolina schools and 34% 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 55.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 496 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 111 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (49%) and White (30%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 496 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Hilton Head Island's public schools, it stands alongside Hilton Head Island Early Childhood Center (301 students): Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (9.5:1 vs 9.4:1).
Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students) and Bluffton High (1,375 students) alongside Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts.
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 School for the Creative Arts compares
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts 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 | 9.5:1 | ▼ 34% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.4% | ▼ 25% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 496 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.5:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
496
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
9.5:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 7% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
0.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
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 496 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 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 49.0%
White 29.6%
African American 16.3%
Two or More 4.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 49.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.3, Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts 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 School for the Creative Arts.
$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 School for the Creative Arts 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts'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 (~496 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts's federal record.
- Compare Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts 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 School for the Creative Arts
How many students attend Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts?
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts has 496 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hilton Head Island, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts is 9.5:1, which is 34% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 39% 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 School for the Creative Arts?
55.4% of students at Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts 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 School for the Creative Arts?
The largest demographic group at Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts is Hispanic or Latino at 49.0% 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 64.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts?
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (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 School for the Creative Arts rank among public schools in Hilton Head Island?
By Resource Investment Index, Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts ranks #1 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 School for the Creative Arts a good school?
Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% 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 School for the Creative Arts, 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.