Enrollment
760
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · North Augusta, SC
Merriwether Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Merriwether Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450207000411
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Merriwether Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in North Augusta · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 52.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Merriwether Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Merriwether Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in North Augusta, SC.
School address
District: Edgefield 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450207000411 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Merriwether Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Merriwether Elementary
Merriwether Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in North Augusta, South Carolina, enrolling 760 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 52.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 760 puts it in the larger 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 172 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #55.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 380 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among North Augusta's public schools, it stands alongside Hammond Hill Elementary (706 students): Merriwether Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.5:1 vs 15.3:1).
Edgefield 01 also operates Strom Thurmond High (720 students) and Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle (394 students) alongside Merriwether 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 Merriwether Elementary compares
Merriwether 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.0% | ▼ 30% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 760 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
760
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,235
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 380 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 67.5%
African American 17.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.0%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: White at 67.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.3, Merriwether 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 Edgefield 01, which includes Merriwether Elementary.
$15,235
Per student
+5%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.6%
State 47.9%
Federal 17.6%
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 Merriwether Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strom Thurmond High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Merriwether Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| W. E. Parker Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Johnston Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Merriwether Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 365
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 339
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar other schools in North Augusta
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~760 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Merriwether Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Merriwether Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Edgefield 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 Merriwether Elementary
How many students attend Merriwether Elementary?
Merriwether Elementary has 760 students enrolled. It is a public school in North Augusta, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merriwether Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Merriwether Elementary is 15.5:1, which is 8% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Merriwether Elementary?
52.0% of students at Merriwether Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Merriwether Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Merriwether Elementary is White at 67.5% of enrollment, in North Augusta, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Merriwether Elementary?
Merriwether 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 Merriwether Elementary rank among schools in North Augusta?
By Resource Investment Index, Merriwether Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in North Augusta, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in North Augusta on the city page.
Is Merriwether Elementary a good school?
Merriwether Elementary earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Edgefield 01?
Besides Merriwether Elementary, Edgefield 01 also operates Strom Thurmond High (720 students), Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle (394 students), and Merriwether Middle (365 students). See the Edgefield 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.