Enrollment
337
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Lancaster, SC
Mcdonald Green Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mcdonald Green Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450258000681
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mcdonald Green Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #3 of 14
- public schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mcdonald Green Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mcdonald Green Elementary ranks #3 of 14 public schools in Lancaster, SC.
School address
District: Lancaster 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450258000681 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mcdonald Green Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mcdonald Green Elementary
Mcdonald Green Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Lancaster, South Carolina, enrolling 337 students.
At 14.7:1, 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.
Enrollment of 337 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 277 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #80.
Its student body is led by White (40%) and African American (37%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 337 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lancaster's elementary schools, it stands alongside Discovery Charter of Lancaster (146 students): Mcdonald Green Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.7:1 vs 20.9:1).
Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students) and Lancaster High (1,390 students) alongside Mcdonald Green 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 Green Elementary compares
Mcdonald Green 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 | 14.7:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 337 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
337
Bigger than 38% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 60% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$11,853
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 337 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.6 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 40.1%
African American 37.1%
Hispanic or Latino 15.1%
Two or More 7.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 40.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.3, Mcdonald Green 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 Lancaster 01, which includes Mcdonald Green Elementary.
$11,853
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.3%
State 46.8%
Federal 16.9%
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 Green Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Land High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lancaster High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harrisburg Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mcdonald Green Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,905
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,102
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar elementary schools in Lancaster
1 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 (~337 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mcdonald Green Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mcdonald Green Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lancaster 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 Green Elementary
How many students attend Mcdonald Green Elementary?
Mcdonald Green Elementary has 337 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Lancaster, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald Green Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mcdonald Green Elementary is 14.7:1, which is 3% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mcdonald Green Elementary?
100.0% of students at Mcdonald Green Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mcdonald Green Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mcdonald Green Elementary is White at 40.1% of enrollment, in Lancaster, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mcdonald Green Elementary?
Mcdonald Green Elementary 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 Mcdonald Green Elementary rank among public schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Mcdonald Green Elementary ranks #3 of 14 public schools in Lancaster, 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 Lancaster on the city page.
Is Mcdonald Green Elementary a good school?
Mcdonald Green Elementary 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 Lancaster 01?
Besides Mcdonald Green Elementary, Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students), Lancaster High (1,390 students), and Indian Land Intermediate (1,181 students). See the Lancaster 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.