Enrollment
512
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kershaw, SC
Kershaw Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Kershaw Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450258000680
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kershaw Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Kershaw · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Kershaw Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kershaw Elementary ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Kershaw, SC.
School address
District: Lancaster 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450258000680 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kershaw Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kershaw Elementary
Kershaw Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Kershaw, South Carolina, enrolling 512 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 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.
With 512 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 383 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #233.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 512 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Kershaw's public schools, it stands alongside North Central Elementary (509 students): Kershaw Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.5:1 vs 15:1).
Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students) and Lancaster High (1,390 students) alongside Kershaw 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 Kershaw Elementary compares
Kershaw 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 512 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
512
Bigger than 63% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.5%
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
$11,853
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 512 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 50 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.8 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
White 67.2%
African American 18.6%
Two or More 10.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.2, Kershaw 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 Lancaster 01, which includes Kershaw Elementary.
$11,853
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.3%
State 46.8%
Federal 16.9%
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 Kershaw Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Land High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lancaster High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harrisburg Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kershaw Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,905
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,102
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar other schools in Kershaw
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 (~512 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kershaw Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Kershaw Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lancaster 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 Kershaw Elementary
How many students attend Kershaw Elementary?
Kershaw Elementary has 512 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kershaw, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kershaw Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Kershaw Elementary is 15.5:1, which is 8% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kershaw Elementary?
100.0% of students at Kershaw Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kershaw Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Kershaw Elementary is White at 67.2% of enrollment, in Kershaw, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kershaw Elementary?
Kershaw Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Kershaw Elementary rank among public schools in Kershaw?
By Resource Investment Index, Kershaw Elementary ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Kershaw, 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 Kershaw on the city page.
Is Kershaw Elementary a good school?
Kershaw Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Lancaster 01?
Besides Kershaw Elementary, Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students), Lancaster High (1,390 students), and Indian Land Intermediate (1,181 students). See the Lancaster 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.