Enrollment
531
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Blythewood, SC
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus
Federal NCES profile for Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450339000650
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Blythewood · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 48.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus ranks #4 of 4 schools in Blythewood, SC.
School address
District: Richland 02 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450339000650 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.6%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Blythewood, South Carolina, enrolling 531 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 48.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 531 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.
Among 100 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #82, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (47%) and White (27%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 531 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Blythewood's public schools, it stands alongside Bethel-Hanberry Elementary (711 students): Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 13.9:1).
Richland 02 also operates Spring Valley High (2,230 students) and Blythewood High (2,164 students) alongside Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus.
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 Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus compares
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.6% | ▼ 34% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 531 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
531
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 34% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 66% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,517
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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 531 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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 46.7%
White 27.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or More 10.5%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 46.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.9, Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland 02, which includes Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus.
$13,517
Per student
-7%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.0%
State 47.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Valley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blythewood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westwood High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ridge View High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richland Northeast High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,230
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 2,164
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,743
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,631
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,340
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Blythewood
3 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 (~531 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus's federal record.
- Compare Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 02'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 Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus
How many students attend Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus?
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus has 531 students enrolled. It is a public school in Blythewood, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus is 15.2:1, which is 6% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus?
48.6% of students at Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus?
The largest demographic group at Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus is African American at 46.7% of enrollment, in Blythewood, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus?
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus 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 Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus rank among schools in Blythewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus ranks #4 of 4 schools in Blythewood, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Blythewood on the city page.
Is Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus a good school?
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. 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 Richland 02?
Besides Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus, Richland 02 also operates Spring Valley High (2,230 students), Blythewood High (2,164 students), and Westwood High (1,743 students). See the Richland 02 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.