Enrollment
276
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Johnston, SC
Johnston Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Johnston Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450207000412
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Johnston Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Johnston · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.5:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 97.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Johnston Elementary has class sizes smaller than 83% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Johnston Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Johnston, SC.
School address
District: Edgefield 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450207000412 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
97.2%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Johnston Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Johnston Elementary
Johnston Elementary is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Johnston, South Carolina, enrolling 276 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 97.2% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 276 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 192 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #17, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (57%) and White (21%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 276 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 56 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 276 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Edgefield 01 also operates Merriwether Elementary (760 students) and Strom Thurmond High (720 students) alongside Johnston 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 Johnston Elementary compares
Johnston 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 97.2% | ▲ 31% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 276 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
276
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
97.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 17% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,235
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 276 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 49 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 57.2%
White 20.7%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 57.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.5, Johnston 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 Edgefield 01, which includes Johnston Elementary.
$15,235
Per student
+5%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.6%
State 47.9%
Federal 17.6%
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 Johnston Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merriwether Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Strom Thurmond High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Merriwether Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| W. E. Parker Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Johnston Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 760
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~276 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Johnston Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Johnston Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Edgefield 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 Johnston Elementary
How many students attend Johnston Elementary?
Johnston Elementary has 276 students enrolled. It is a public school in Johnston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Johnston Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Johnston Elementary is 11.5:1, which is 20% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 27% 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 Johnston Elementary?
97.2% of students at Johnston Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Johnston Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Johnston Elementary is African American at 57.2% of enrollment, in Johnston, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Johnston Elementary?
Johnston Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (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 Johnston Elementary rank among public schools in Johnston?
By Resource Investment Index, Johnston Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Johnston, 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 Johnston on the city page.
Is Johnston Elementary a good school?
Johnston Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Edgefield 01?
Besides Johnston Elementary, Edgefield 01 also operates Merriwether Elementary (760 students), Strom Thurmond High (720 students), and Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle (394 students). See the Edgefield 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.