Enrollment
389
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Georgetown, SC
Mcdonald Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mcdonald Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450228000475
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcdonald Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of South Carolina schools.
- #6 of 6
- schools in Georgetown · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.8:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcdonald 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, Mcdonald Elementary ranks #6 of 6 schools in Georgetown, SC.
School address
District: Georgetown 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450228000475 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
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 Mcdonald Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcdonald Elementary
Mcdonald Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Georgetown, South Carolina, enrolling 389 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.
Enrollment of 389 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 330 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #177.
Its student body is led by African American (57%) and White (28%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 389 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Georgetown's public schools, it stands alongside Kensington Elementary (548 students): Mcdonald Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 13.4:1).
Georgetown 01 also operates Georgetown High (918 students) and Waccamaw High (808 students) alongside Mcdonald 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 Mcdonald Elementary compares
Mcdonald 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 | 389 | top 73% | - | - |
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.
389
Bigger than 46% 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
31.6%
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
$14,507
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 389 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 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 57.3%
White 28.3%
Hispanic or Latino 11.1%
Two or More 3.3%
Largest group: African American at 57.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Mcdonald 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 Georgetown 01, which includes Mcdonald Elementary.
$14,507
Per student
0%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.1%
State 39.4%
Federal 15.5%
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 Mcdonald Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waccamaw High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Georgetown Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Andrews Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kensington Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcdonald Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 918
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 808
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 671
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 604
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Georgetown
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Kensington Elementary
Standard public school
548 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Maryville Elementary
Standard public school
444 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Sampit Elementary
Standard public school
270 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Brown's Ferry Elementary
Standard public school
163 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Plantersville Elementary
Standard public school
78 students 11.1:1 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 (~389 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcdonald Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mcdonald Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Georgetown 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 Mcdonald Elementary
How many students attend Mcdonald Elementary?
Mcdonald Elementary has 389 students enrolled. It is a public school in Georgetown, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald 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 Mcdonald Elementary?
100.0% of students at Mcdonald Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcdonald Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mcdonald Elementary is African American at 57.3% of enrollment, in Georgetown, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcdonald Elementary?
Mcdonald Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Mcdonald Elementary rank among schools in Georgetown?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcdonald Elementary ranks #6 of 6 schools in Georgetown, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Georgetown on the city page.
Is Mcdonald Elementary a good school?
Mcdonald Elementary earns 42/100 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 Georgetown 01?
Besides Mcdonald Elementary, Georgetown 01 also operates Georgetown High (918 students), Waccamaw High (808 students), and Georgetown Middle (671 students). See the Georgetown 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.