Enrollment
320
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Myrtle Beach, SC
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter
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.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450249001561Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter earns 65/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Myrtle Beach · Resource Index
- 65
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 4.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Myrtle Beach, SC.
School address
District: Horry 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450249001561 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+1% 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
What stands out at Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, enrolling 320 students.
At 14.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 4.1% free-meal eligibility runs 94% below the South Carolina average.
Enrollment of 320 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 99% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 16.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Myrtle Beach's elementary schools, it stands alongside Myrtle Beach Elementary (1,066 students): Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 16.4:1).
Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students) and St. James High (1,826 students) alongside Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter.
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 Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter compares
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.1% | ▼ 94% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 320 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
320
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
4.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 94% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 57% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,785
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that 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
- 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 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.
Student-body diversity index 33.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.9, Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Horry 01, which includes Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter.
$12,785
Per student
-12%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Forest High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. James High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Conway High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Socastee High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Myrtle Beach High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,176
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,826
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,673
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 16.4:1 students per teacher
St. James Intermediate
Standard public school
883 students 17:1 students per teacher
Myrtle Beach Primary
Standard public school
710 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Bridgewater Academy Charter
Standard public school
125 students 6.3:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~320 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter's federal record.
- Compare Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Horry 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 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 an 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 14.5:1, which is 1% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
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% of enrollment, 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 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter rank among elementary schools in Myrtle Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Myrtle Beach, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Myrtle Beach on the city page.
Is Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter a good school?
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter earns 65/100 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 Horry 01?
Besides Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter, Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students), St. James High (1,826 students), and Conway High (1,724 students). See the Horry 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.