Enrollment
216
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Columbia, SC
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy
Federal NCES profile for Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450390101743Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 67
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% of South Carolina schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 8.3:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 36.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy has class sizes smaller than 97% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Sc Public Charter School District · South Carolina
NCES ID 450390101743 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-42% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.4%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy is a small charter elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 216 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.3:1, Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy is leaner than roughly 97% of South Carolina schools and 42% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 36.4% free-meal eligibility runs 51% below the South Carolina average.
Enrollment of 216 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and African American (41%) (diversity index 59/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Sc Public Charter School District spends $22,523 per pupil, 55% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Columbia's elementary schools, it stands alongside E. L. Wright Middle (1,275 students): Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.3:1 vs 14.7:1).
Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students) and Legacy Early College (1,592 students) alongside Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy.
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 Achievement Center for Excellence Academy compares
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy 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 | 8.3:1 | ▼ 42% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.4% | ▼ 51% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 216 | top 90% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.3:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
216
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
8.3:1
students per teacher
- 42% below state mean
Top 3% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 97% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$22,523
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.3 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 49.1%
African American 41.2%
Two or More 4.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.2%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 49.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.5, Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sc Public Charter School District, which includes Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy.
$22,523
Per student
+55%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.8%
State 80.6%
Federal 13.6%
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 Achievement Center for Excellence Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Preparatory Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Legacy Early College | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bridges Preparatory School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| High Point Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Green Charter School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,672
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,592
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Columbia
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
E. L. Wright Middle
Standard public school
1,275 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Summit Parkway Middle
Standard public school
1,229 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Satchel Ford Elementary
Standard public school
721 students 16:1 students per teacher
Rosewood Elementary
Standard public school
338 students 12.1:1 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 (~216 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy's federal record.
- Compare Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Sc Public Charter School District'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 Achievement Center for Excellence Academy
How many students attend Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy has 216 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy is 8.3:1, which is 42% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 47% 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 Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?
36.4% of students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?
The largest demographic group at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy is White at 49.1% of enrollment, in Columbia, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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 Achievement Center for Excellence Academy rank among elementary schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Columbia, 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 Columbia on the city page.
Is Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy a good school?
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 97% 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 Sc Public Charter School District?
Besides Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy, Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students), Legacy Early College (1,592 students), and Bridges Preparatory School (1,472 students). See the Sc Public Charter School District district page for the complete list.
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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.