Enrollment
523
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Blythewood, SC
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus
Federal NCES profile for Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450339001653
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Blythewood · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 43.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper 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 Upper Campus ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Blythewood, SC.
School address
District: Richland 02 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450339001653 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.4%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus is a mid-sized elementary school in Blythewood, South Carolina, enrolling 523 students.
At 14.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 523 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 89 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #37.
Its student body is led by African American (53%) and White (27%) (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 523 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Blythewood's elementary schools, it stands alongside Muller Road Middle (1,242 students): Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.1:1 vs 17.7:1).
Richland 02 also operates Spring Valley High (2,230 students) and Blythewood High (2,164 students) alongside Lake Carolina Elementary Upper 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 Upper Campus compares
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.4% | ▼ 41% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 523 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
523
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 51% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.0%
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 523 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 52.6%
White 26.6%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 2.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 52.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.6, Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland 02, which includes Lake Carolina Elementary Upper 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 Upper 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 | Higher 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 Upper 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 elementary schools in Blythewood
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~523 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus's federal record.
- Compare Lake Carolina Elementary Upper 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 Upper Campus
How many students attend Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus?
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus has 523 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Blythewood, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus is 14.1:1, which is 1% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 10% 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 Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus?
43.4% of students at Lake Carolina Elementary Upper 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 Upper Campus?
The largest demographic group at Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus is African American at 52.6% of enrollment, in Blythewood, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus?
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Upper Campus rank among elementary schools in Blythewood?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus ranks #2 of 3 elementary 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 elementary schools in Blythewood on the city page.
Is Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus a good school?
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus earns 48/100 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 Upper 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.