Enrollment
572
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 450078001324
Palmetto Elementary — Williamston, SC
Federal NCES profile for Palmetto Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.
👥 Class size 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
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: Anderson 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)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-8% 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
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 Elementary reports 572 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 43.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% below the South Carolina state mean of 14.3:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 18% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 76.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 3% above the South Carolina average and 47% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 572 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 12.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Anderson 01 spends $14,120 per pupil district-wide, below the South Carolina average of $17,182 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.0% from local sources (property taxes), 49.8% from the state, and 13.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 Elementary 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.3% | ▲ 3% | 74.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 572 | top 54% | — | — |
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
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
13.1:1
students per teacher
— 8% below state mean
Top 32% in South Carolina — lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
12.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$14,120
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
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
Enrollment 572 Top 54% in South Carolina — larger than 46% of 1,215 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 43.0
Students per teacher 13.1:1 -8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 76.3% +3% vs state
NCES ID 450078001324
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 572:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 12.9%
In-school suspensions 22
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Anderson 01, which includes Palmetto Elementary.
$14,120
Per student
-18%
vs South Carolina
Avg $17,182
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,252
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,086
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Enrollment
- 910
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
Similar other schools in Williamston
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 Elementary
How many students attend Palmetto Elementary?
Palmetto Elementary has 572 students enrolled. It is a other school in Williamston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Elementary is 13.1:1, which is 8% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in Williamston, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmetto Elementary?
Palmetto Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.