Enrollment
572
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Williamston, SC
Palmetto Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Palmetto Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450078001324
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmetto Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Williamston · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 76.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmetto Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Williamston, SC.
School address
District: Anderson 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450078001324 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.3%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmetto Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmetto Elementary
Palmetto Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Williamston, South Carolina, enrolling 572 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 76.3% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 572 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.
Against 123 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #38.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 572 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Anderson 01 spends $10,372 per pupil, 29% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Williamston's public schools, it stands alongside Cedar Grove Elementary (596 students): Palmetto Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 14.2:1).
Anderson 01 also operates Wren High (1,252 students) and Palmetto High (1,086 students) alongside Palmetto 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 Palmetto Elementary compares
Palmetto 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 3% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 572 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
572
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
76.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 39% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.9%
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
$10,372
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 572 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 60.3%
Hispanic or Latino 24.7%
Two or More 7.2%
African American 7.0%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 60.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.5, Palmetto 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 Anderson 01, which includes Palmetto Elementary.
$10,372
Per student
-29%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.0%
State 49.8%
Federal 13.2%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wren High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmetto High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Powdersville High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wren Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spearman Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmetto Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,252
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,086
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 910
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Williamston
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~572 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmetto Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Palmetto Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Anderson 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 Elementary
How many students attend Palmetto Elementary?
Palmetto Elementary has 572 students enrolled. It is a public school in Williamston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 7% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 15% 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 Elementary?
76.3% of students at Palmetto Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmetto Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Palmetto Elementary is White at 60.3% of enrollment, in Williamston, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmetto Elementary?
Palmetto Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Palmetto Elementary rank among public schools in Williamston?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Williamston, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Williamston on the city page.
Is Palmetto Elementary a good school?
Palmetto Elementary earns 46/100 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 Anderson 01?
Besides Palmetto Elementary, Anderson 01 also operates Wren High (1,252 students), Palmetto High (1,086 students), and Powdersville High (1,024 students). See the Anderson 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.