Enrollment
320
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 450249001561 Charter school
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter — Myrtle Beach, SC
Federal NCES profile for Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 65/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 83
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: Horry 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)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
4.1%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-94% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter 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
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter reports 320 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 0% above the South Carolina state mean of 14.3:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 4.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 94% below the South Carolina average and 92% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 6.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Horry 01 spends $14,530 per pupil district-wide, below the South Carolina average of $17,182 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 47.9% from local sources (property taxes), 36.1% from the state, and 16.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (B-), calculated from 3 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 Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 0% | 14.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.1% | ▼ 94% | 74.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 320 | top 18% | — | — |
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
4.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 94% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 0% above state mean
Top 52% in South Carolina — lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
6.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$14,530
per pupil, district-wide
— below South Carolina avg of $17,182
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 320 Top 18% in South Carolina — larger than 82% of 1,215 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 +0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 4.1% -94% vs state
NCES ID 450249001561
Student demographics
White 80.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 3.1%
Asian 1.9%
Largest group: White at 80.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 6.9%
In-school suspensions 8
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Horry 01, which includes Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter.
$14,530
Per student
-15%
vs South Carolina
Avg $17,182
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 47.9%
State 36.1%
Federal 16.0%
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
- 3,176
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,826
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,673
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
Similar elementary schools in Myrtle Beach
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Myrtle Beach Elementary
Standard public school
1,066 students 16:1 students per teacher
St. James Intermediate
Standard public school
883 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Myrtle Beach Primary
Standard public school
710 students 15:1 students per teacher
Bridgewater Academy Charter
Standard public school
125 students 6.7:1 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 Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter
How many students attend Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter?
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter has 320 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Myrtle Beach, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter is 14.3:1, which is 0% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter?
4.1% of students at Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter?
The largest demographic group at Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter is White at 80.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Myrtle Beach, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter?
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (B-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.