Enrollment
399
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gaffney, SC
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Luther L. Vaughan Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450150000282
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of South Carolina schools.
- #7 of 8
- schools in Gaffney · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary has class sizes smaller than 84% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Luther L. Vaughan Elementary ranks #7 of 8 schools in Gaffney, SC.
School address
District: Cherokee 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450150000282 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Luther L. Vaughan Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Luther L. Vaughan Elementary
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gaffney, South Carolina, enrolling 399 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.4:1 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.
Enrollment of 399 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 340 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #266, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (40%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 399 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.4% 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): Luther L. Vaughan Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.4:1 vs 12.9:1).
Cherokee 01 also operates Gaffney High (1,827 students) and Gaffney Middle (851 students) alongside Luther L. Vaughan 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 Luther L. Vaughan Elementary compares
Luther L. Vaughan 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 399 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
399
Bigger than 47% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 16% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.4%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 399 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.5 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 40.4%
Hispanic or Latino 31.6%
White 25.3%
Two or More 2.8%
Largest group: African American at 40.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.2, Luther L. Vaughan 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 Luther L. Vaughan 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 Luther L. Vaughan 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 | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blacksburg High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Luther L. Vaughan 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
Limestone-Central Elementary
Standard public school
436 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Northwest Elementary
Standard public school
423 students 15.1:1 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 (~399 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Luther L. Vaughan Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Luther L. Vaughan 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 Luther L. Vaughan Elementary
How many students attend Luther L. Vaughan Elementary?
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary has 399 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gaffney, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Luther L. Vaughan Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Luther L. Vaughan Elementary is 11.4:1, which is 20% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 27% 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 Luther L. Vaughan Elementary?
100.0% of students at Luther L. Vaughan Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Luther L. Vaughan Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Luther L. Vaughan Elementary is African American at 40.4% of enrollment, in Gaffney, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Luther L. Vaughan Elementary?
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Luther L. Vaughan Elementary rank among schools in Gaffney?
By Resource Investment Index, Luther L. Vaughan Elementary ranks #7 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 Luther L. Vaughan Elementary a good school?
Luther L. Vaughan Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Luther L. Vaughan 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.