Enrollment
648
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bluffton, SC
Okatie Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Okatie Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450111000819
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Okatie Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #6 of 6
- schools in Bluffton · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 21.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Okatie Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Okatie Elementary ranks #6 of 6 schools in Bluffton, SC.
School address
District: Beaufort 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450111000819 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.3%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Okatie Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Okatie Elementary
Okatie Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Bluffton, South Carolina, enrolling 648 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 21.3% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the South Carolina average.
With 648 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 89 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #73, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 648 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Bluffton's public schools, it stands alongside River Ridge Academy (1,134 students): Okatie Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.4:1 vs 14.5:1).
Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students) and Bluffton High (1,375 students) alongside Okatie 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 Okatie Elementary compares
Okatie 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.3% | ▼ 71% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 648 | top 38% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
648
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 69% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$16,066
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 648 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 55.6%
Hispanic or Latino 29.6%
African American 8.0%
Two or More 5.7%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 55.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.3, Okatie 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 Beaufort 01, which includes Okatie Elementary.
$16,066
Per student
+10%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Okatie Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| May River High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bluffton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hilton Head Island High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| River Ridge Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beaufort High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Okatie Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,731
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 1,104
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Bluffton
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
River Ridge Academy
Standard public school
1,134 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Pritchardville Elementary
Standard public school
887 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Bluffton Elementary
Standard public school
709 students 11.1:1 students per teacher
Michael C. Riley Elementary
Standard public school
704 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Red Cedar Elementary
Standard public school
636 students 11.4:1 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 (~648 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Okatie Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Okatie Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Beaufort 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 Okatie Elementary
How many students attend Okatie Elementary?
Okatie Elementary has 648 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bluffton, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Okatie Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Okatie Elementary is 15.4:1, which is 8% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Okatie Elementary?
21.3% of students at Okatie Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Okatie Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Okatie Elementary is White at 55.6% of enrollment, in Bluffton, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Okatie Elementary?
Okatie Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Okatie Elementary rank among schools in Bluffton?
By Resource Investment Index, Okatie Elementary ranks #6 of 6 schools in Bluffton, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bluffton on the city page.
Is Okatie Elementary a good school?
Okatie Elementary earns 43/100 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 Beaufort 01?
Besides Okatie Elementary, Beaufort 01 also operates May River High (1,731 students), Bluffton High (1,375 students), and Hilton Head Island High (1,265 students). See the Beaufort 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.