Enrollment
144
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Orangeburg, SC
Mellichamp Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mellichamp Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450391001694
👥 S:T ratio 66
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mellichamp Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Orangeburg · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.5:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mellichamp Elementary has class sizes smaller than 96% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mellichamp Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Orangeburg, SC.
School address
District: Orangeburg · South Carolina
NCES ID 450391001694 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mellichamp Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mellichamp Elementary
Mellichamp Elementary is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Orangeburg, South Carolina, enrolling 144 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.5:1, Mellichamp Elementary is leaner than roughly 96% of South Carolina schools and 41% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of South Carolina schools, with 144 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 52 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #25.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 144 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 43 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 144 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Orangeburg's elementary schools, it stands alongside Edisto Elementary (419 students): Mellichamp Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.5:1 vs 14.4:1).
Orangeburg also operates Orangeburg Wilkinson High (992 students) and Lake Marion High School (692 students) alongside Mellichamp 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 Mellichamp Elementary compares
Mellichamp 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 | 8.5:1 | ▼ 41% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 144 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.5:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
144
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
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
8.5:1
students per teacher
- 41% below state mean
Top 4% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
41.7%
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
$15,232
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 144 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.9 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 85.4%
White 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 85.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.3, Mellichamp Elementary is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Orangeburg, which includes Mellichamp Elementary.
$15,232
Per student
+5%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.7%
State 46.7%
Federal 19.6%
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 Mellichamp Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg Wilkinson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Marion High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edisto Primary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marshall Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edisto High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mellichamp Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 692
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Orangeburg
2 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 (~144 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mellichamp Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mellichamp Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Orangeburg'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 Mellichamp Elementary
How many students attend Mellichamp Elementary?
Mellichamp Elementary has 144 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Orangeburg, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mellichamp Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mellichamp Elementary is 8.5:1, which is 41% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 46% 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 Mellichamp Elementary?
100.0% of students at Mellichamp Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mellichamp Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mellichamp Elementary is African American at 85.4% of enrollment, in Orangeburg, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mellichamp Elementary?
Mellichamp Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Mellichamp Elementary rank among elementary schools in Orangeburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Mellichamp Elementary ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Orangeburg, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Orangeburg on the city page.
Is Mellichamp Elementary a good school?
Mellichamp Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina. 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 Orangeburg?
Besides Mellichamp Elementary, Orangeburg also operates Orangeburg Wilkinson High (992 students), Lake Marion High School (692 students), and Edisto Primary (635 students). See the Orangeburg 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.