Enrollment
496
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lamar, SC
Lamar-Spaulding Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lamar-Spaulding Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450186001751
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lamar-Spaulding Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Lamar · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lamar-Spaulding Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lamar-Spaulding Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Lamar, SC.
School address
District: Darlington 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450186001751 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lamar-Spaulding Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lamar-Spaulding Elementary
Lamar-Spaulding Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lamar, South Carolina, enrolling 496 students.
At 14.2:1, 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.
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 496 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 381 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #30, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (53%) and White (37%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 248 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Darlington 01 also operates Hartsville High (1,129 students) and Darlington High (965 students) alongside Lamar-Spaulding 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 Lamar-Spaulding Elementary compares
Lamar-Spaulding 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 496 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
496
Bigger than 61% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 53% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.8%
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
$16,032
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 248 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 70 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 53.4%
White 37.3%
Two or More 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 53.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.1, Lamar-Spaulding Elementary is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Darlington 01, which includes Lamar-Spaulding Elementary.
$16,032
Per student
+10%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 40.1%
Federal 21.4%
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 Lamar-Spaulding Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartsville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Darlington High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Darlington Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hartsville Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| St. John's Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lamar-Spaulding Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,129
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 965
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 888
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~496 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lamar-Spaulding Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lamar-Spaulding Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Darlington 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 Lamar-Spaulding Elementary
How many students attend Lamar-Spaulding Elementary?
Lamar-Spaulding Elementary has 496 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lamar, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lamar-Spaulding Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lamar-Spaulding Elementary is 14.2:1, 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 Lamar-Spaulding Elementary?
100.0% of students at Lamar-Spaulding Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lamar-Spaulding Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lamar-Spaulding Elementary is African American at 53.4% of enrollment, in Lamar, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lamar-Spaulding Elementary?
Lamar-Spaulding Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Lamar-Spaulding Elementary rank among public schools in Lamar?
By Resource Investment Index, Lamar-Spaulding Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Lamar, 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 Lamar on the city page.
Is Lamar-Spaulding Elementary a good school?
Lamar-Spaulding Elementary earns 53/100 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 Darlington 01?
Besides Lamar-Spaulding Elementary, Darlington 01 also operates Hartsville High (1,129 students), Darlington High (965 students), and Darlington Middle (888 students). See the Darlington 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.