Enrollment
436
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gaffney, SC
Limestone-Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Limestone-Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450150000287
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Limestone-Central Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 8
- schools in Gaffney · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Limestone-Central Elementary has class sizes smaller than 81% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Limestone-Central Elementary ranks #1 of 8 schools in Gaffney, SC.
School address
District: Cherokee 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450150000287 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Limestone-Central Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Limestone-Central Elementary
Limestone-Central Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gaffney, South Carolina, enrolling 436 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller 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 436 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 354 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #33, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (38%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 218 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Gaffney's public schools, it stands alongside Cherokee Charter School (633 students): Limestone-Central Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 12.9:1).
Cherokee 01 also operates Gaffney High (1,827 students) and Gaffney Middle (851 students) alongside Limestone-Central 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 Limestone-Central Elementary compares
Limestone-Central 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 17% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
436
Bigger than 53% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 19% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.1%
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
$14,030
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 218 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.8 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 46.3%
African American 38.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.1%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 46.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.8, Limestone-Central 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 Cherokee 01, which includes Limestone-Central Elementary.
$14,030
Per student
-4%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.3%
State 45.1%
Federal 16.6%
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 Limestone-Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaffney High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaffney Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| B. D. Lee Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grassy Pond Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blacksburg High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Limestone-Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,827
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 603
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Gaffney
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cherokee Charter School
Standard public school
633 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
B. D. Lee Elementary
Standard public school
603 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Grassy Pond Elementary
Standard public school
519 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Northwest Elementary
Standard public school
423 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary
Standard public school
399 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Corinth Elementary
Standard public school
292 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~436 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Limestone-Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Limestone-Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cherokee 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 Limestone-Central Elementary
How many students attend Limestone-Central Elementary?
Limestone-Central Elementary has 436 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gaffney, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Limestone-Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Limestone-Central Elementary is 11.8:1, which is 17% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 25% 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 Limestone-Central Elementary?
100.0% of students at Limestone-Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Limestone-Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Limestone-Central Elementary is White at 46.3% of enrollment, in Gaffney, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Limestone-Central Elementary?
Limestone-Central 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 Limestone-Central Elementary rank among schools in Gaffney?
By Resource Investment Index, Limestone-Central Elementary ranks #1 of 8 schools in Gaffney, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gaffney on the city page.
Is Limestone-Central Elementary a good school?
Limestone-Central Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% 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 Cherokee 01?
Besides Limestone-Central Elementary, Cherokee 01 also operates Gaffney High (1,827 students), Gaffney Middle (851 students), and B. D. Lee Elementary (603 students). See the Cherokee 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.