Enrollment
42
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Columbia, SC
Kirkland High
Federal NCES profile for Kirkland High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 13/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450000101731
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kirkland High earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina.
- #15 of 15
- high schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 13
- Resource Index · Lower
- 42:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 91.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Kirkland High has class sizes larger than 99% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kirkland High ranks #15 of 15 high schools in Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Dept of Correction N04 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450000101731 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
42:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+194% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.4%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kirkland High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kirkland High
Kirkland High is a high-poverty, small high school in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 42 students.
Class loads run heavy: 42:1 is larger than about 99% of South Carolina schools and 194% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 91.4% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of South Carolina schools, with 42 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly African American (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
The surrounding Dept of Correction N04 spends $54,899 per pupil, 277% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Columbia's high schools, it stands alongside Spring Valley High (2,230 students): Kirkland High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (42:1 vs 18.3:1).
Dept of Correction N04 also operates Turbeville High (55 students) and Broad River High (28 students) alongside Kirkland High.
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 Kirkland High compares
Kirkland High 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 | 42:1 | ▲ 194% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.4% | ▲ 24% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 42 | top 99% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
42:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
42
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
91.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
42:1
students per teacher
- 194% above state mean
Top 99% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$54,899
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 81.0%
White 14.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Largest group: African American at 81.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.1, Kirkland High is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dept of Correction N04, which includes Kirkland High.
$54,899
Per student
+277%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+231%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
State 81.8%
Federal 18.2%
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 Kirkland High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbeville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Broad River High | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sara Babb High | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Allendale High | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lewis High | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kirkland High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 55
- Students per teacher
- 6.1:1
- Resource Index
- 67/100
- Enrollment
- 28
- Students per teacher
- 9.3:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 8
- Students per teacher
- 1.6:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 8
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 7
- Students per teacher
- 1.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar high schools in Columbia
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Spring Valley High
Standard public school
2,230 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Ridge View High
Standard public school
1,631 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Richland Northeast High
Standard public school
1,340 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
A. C. Flora High
Standard public school
1,328 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Irmo High
Standard public school
1,272 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Dreher High
Standard public school
1,144 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~42 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kirkland High's federal record.
- Compare Kirkland High against another school. Compare schools
- Dept of Correction N04'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 Kirkland High
How many students attend Kirkland High?
Kirkland High has 42 students enrolled. It is a high school in Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kirkland High?
The student-teacher ratio at Kirkland High is 42:1, which is 194% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 168% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kirkland High?
91.4% of students at Kirkland High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kirkland High?
The largest demographic group at Kirkland High is African American at 81.0% of enrollment, in Columbia, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kirkland High?
Kirkland High has a Resource Investment Index of 13/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Kirkland High rank among high schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Kirkland High ranks #15 of 15 high schools in Columbia, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Kirkland High a good school?
Kirkland High earns 13/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina. 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 Dept of Correction N04?
Besides Kirkland High, Dept of Correction N04 also operates Turbeville High (55 students), Broad River High (28 students), and Sara Babb High (8 students). See the Dept of Correction N04 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.