Enrollment
362
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kingstree, SC
Kenneth Gardner Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Kenneth Gardner Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450378001099
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kenneth Gardner Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Kingstree · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Kenneth Gardner Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kenneth Gardner Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Kingstree, SC.
School address
District: Williamsburg 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450378001099 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kenneth Gardner Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kenneth Gardner Elementary
Kenneth Gardner Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Kingstree, South Carolina, enrolling 362 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger 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.
Enrollment of 362 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 300 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #266, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (87% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Williamsburg 01 spends $17,968 per pupil, 23% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 29.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Williamsburg 01 also operates Kingstree High (681 students) and W.M. Anderson Primary (364 students) alongside Kenneth Gardner 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 Kenneth Gardner Elementary compares
Kenneth Gardner 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 15% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 362 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
362
Bigger than 42% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 80% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
45.0%
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
$17,968
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 51 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 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
African American 87.0%
White 5.8%
Two or More 3.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 87.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.8, Kenneth Gardner Elementary is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Williamsburg 01, which includes Kenneth Gardner Elementary.
$17,968
Per student
+23%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 44.6%
Federal 29.1%
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 Kenneth Gardner Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kingstree High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| W.M. Anderson Primary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kingstree Middle Magnet | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hemingway Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Greeleyville Primary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kenneth Gardner Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 681
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 341
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 269
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 222
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
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 (~362 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kenneth Gardner Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Kenneth Gardner Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Williamsburg 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 Kenneth Gardner Elementary
How many students attend Kenneth Gardner Elementary?
Kenneth Gardner Elementary has 362 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kingstree, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kenneth Gardner Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Kenneth Gardner Elementary is 16.5:1, which is 15% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kenneth Gardner Elementary?
100.0% of students at Kenneth Gardner Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kenneth Gardner Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Kenneth Gardner Elementary is African American at 87.0% of enrollment, in Kingstree, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kenneth Gardner Elementary?
Kenneth Gardner Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Kenneth Gardner Elementary rank among public schools in Kingstree?
By Resource Investment Index, Kenneth Gardner Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Kingstree, 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 Kingstree on the city page.
Is Kenneth Gardner Elementary a good school?
Kenneth Gardner Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Williamsburg 01?
Besides Kenneth Gardner Elementary, Williamsburg 01 also operates Kingstree High (681 students), W.M. Anderson Primary (364 students), and Kingstree Middle Magnet (341 students). See the Williamsburg 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.