Enrollment
543
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Anderson, SC
Mclees Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mclees Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450090000690
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mclees Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #4 of 13
- schools in Anderson · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mclees Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mclees Elementary ranks #4 of 13 schools in Anderson, SC.
School address
District: Anderson 05 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450090000690 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mclees Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mclees Elementary
Mclees Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Anderson, South Carolina, enrolling 543 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 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 543 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.
Against 379 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #64.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and African American (23%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 272 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Anderson's public schools, it stands alongside Midway Elementary (675 students): Mclees Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 14.7:1).
Anderson 05 also operates T. L. Hanna High (1,899 students) and Westside High (1,687 students) alongside Mclees 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 Mclees Elementary compares
Mclees 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 543 | top 50% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
543
Bigger than 67% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 37% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.3%
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
$12,323
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 272 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.6 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 54.9%
African American 23.4%
Two or More 12.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 54.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.1, Mclees 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 Anderson 05, which includes Mclees Elementary.
$12,323
Per student
-15%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.1%
State 47.8%
Federal 13.1%
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 Mclees Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| T. L. Hanna High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert Anderson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Glenview Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Midway Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mclees Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,899
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,687
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 677
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 675
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Anderson
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Midway Elementary
Standard public school
675 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Concord Elementary
Standard public school
615 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Centerville Elementary
Standard public school
536 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Nevitt Forest Elementary
Standard public school
530 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Whitehall Elementary
Standard public school
504 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
North Pointe Elementary
Standard public school
504 students 14.8:1 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 (~543 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mclees Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mclees Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Anderson 05'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 Mclees Elementary
How many students attend Mclees Elementary?
Mclees Elementary has 543 students enrolled. It is a public school in Anderson, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mclees Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mclees Elementary is 13.2:1, which is 8% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 16% 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 Mclees Elementary?
100.0% of students at Mclees Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mclees Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mclees Elementary is White at 54.9% of enrollment, in Anderson, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mclees Elementary?
Mclees Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Mclees Elementary rank among schools in Anderson?
By Resource Investment Index, Mclees Elementary ranks #4 of 13 schools in Anderson, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Anderson on the city page.
Is Mclees Elementary a good school?
Mclees Elementary earns 49/100 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 Anderson 05?
Besides Mclees Elementary, Anderson 05 also operates T. L. Hanna High (1,899 students), Westside High (1,687 students), and Robert Anderson Middle (1,134 students). See the Anderson 05 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.