Enrollment
704
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 450111000143
Michael C. Riley Elementary — Bluffton, SC
Federal NCES profile for Michael C. Riley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 43/100.
👥 Class size 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 16
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Beaufort 01 · South Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
70.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.8%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Michael C. Riley Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Michael C. Riley Elementary reports 704 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 70.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 23% below the South Carolina state mean of 14.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 31% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 36.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 50% below the South Carolina average and 29% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 352 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 33.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Beaufort 01 spends $22,414 per pupil district-wide, above the South Carolina average of $17,182 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 56.5% from local sources (property taxes), 30.2% from the state, and 13.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Michael C. Riley Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against South Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11:1 | ▼ 23% | 14.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.8% | ▼ 50% | 74.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 704 | top 68% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
36.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 50% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11:1
students per teacher
— 23% below state mean
Top 12% in South Carolina — lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
33.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,414
per pupil, district-wide
— above South Carolina avg of $17,182
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 352 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 704 Top 68% in South Carolina — larger than 32% of 1,215 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 70.0
Students per teacher 11:1 -23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 36.8% -50% vs state
NCES ID 450111000143
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 65.5%
White 23.9%
African American 7.7%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 352:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 33.5%
In-school suspensions 38
Out-of-school suspensions 27
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beaufort 01, which includes Michael C. Riley Elementary.
$22,414
Per student
+30%
vs South Carolina
Avg $17,182
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 56.5%
State 30.2%
Federal 13.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,731
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,104
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
Similar other schools in Bluffton
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
River Ridge Academy
Standard public school
1,134 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Pritchardville Elementary
Standard public school
887 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Bluffton Elementary
Standard public school
709 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Okatie Elementary
Standard public school
648 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Red Cedar Elementary
Standard public school
636 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Michael C. Riley Elementary
How many students attend Michael C. Riley Elementary?
Michael C. Riley Elementary has 704 students enrolled. It is a other school in Bluffton, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Michael C. Riley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Michael C. Riley Elementary is 11:1, which is 23% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Michael C. Riley Elementary?
36.8% of students at Michael C. Riley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Michael C. Riley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Michael C. Riley Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 65.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Bluffton, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Michael C. Riley Elementary?
Michael C. Riley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.