Enrollment
399
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · North Charleston, SC
North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary
Federal NCES profile for North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450144001611
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of South Carolina schools.
- #13 of 18
- schools in North Charleston · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.8:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary has class sizes smaller than 89% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary ranks #13 of 18 schools in North Charleston, SC.
School address
District: Charleston 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450144001611 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary
North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in North Charleston, South Carolina, enrolling 399 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.8:1, North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary is leaner than roughly 89% of South Carolina schools and 24% 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.
Enrollment of 399 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 340 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #254, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 399 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among North Charleston's public schools, it stands alongside Meeting Street Elementary (1,133 students): North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (10.8:1 vs 8.1:1).
Charleston 01 also operates Wando High (2,588 students) and Rb Stall High (2,135 students) alongside North Charleston Creative Arts 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 North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary compares
North Charleston Creative Arts 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 | 10.8:1 | ▼ 24% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 399 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
399
Bigger than 47% 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
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 11% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
42.4%
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
$15,213
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 399 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.5 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 44.1%
Hispanic or Latino 27.3%
White 19.5%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 44.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.6, North Charleston Creative Arts 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 Charleston 01, which includes North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary.
$15,213
Per student
+4%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 59.0%
State 27.7%
Federal 13.3%
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 North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wando High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rb Stall High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Ashley High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lucy Garrett Beckham High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Island Charter High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,588
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,135
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,069
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,757
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,612
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in North Charleston
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Meeting Street Elementary
Standard public school
1,133 students 8.1:1 students per teacher
Charleston School of the Arts
Standard public school
1,102 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
A. C. Corcoran Elementary
Standard public school
743 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Eagle Nest Elementary
Standard public school
653 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary
Standard public school
622 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Lambs Elementary
Standard public school
580 students 17.6:1 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 (~399 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary's federal record.
- Compare North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Charleston 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 North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary
How many students attend North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary?
North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary has 399 students enrolled. It is a public school in North Charleston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary is 10.8:1, which is 24% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 31% 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 North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary?
100.0% of students at North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary?
The largest demographic group at North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary is African American at 44.1% of enrollment, in North Charleston, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary?
North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary rank among schools in North Charleston?
By Resource Investment Index, North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary ranks #13 of 18 schools in North Charleston, 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 Charleston on the city page.
Is North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary a good school?
North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% 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 Charleston 01?
Besides North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary, Charleston 01 also operates Wando High (2,588 students), Rb Stall High (2,135 students), and West Ashley High (2,069 students). See the Charleston 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.