Enrollment
975
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Simpsonville, SC
Plain Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Plain Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450231001336
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Plain Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Simpsonville · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.4:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 46.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Plain Elementary has class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Plain Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Simpsonville, SC.
School address
District: Greenville 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450231001336 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.9%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Plain Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Plain Elementary
Plain Elementary is a large elementary school in Simpsonville, South Carolina, enrolling 975 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.4:1 is larger than about 87% of South Carolina schools and 22% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 975 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 138 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #101, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 650 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Simpsonville's elementary schools, it stands alongside Bryson Elementary (1,038 students): Plain Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.4:1 vs 17.6:1).
Greenville 01 also operates Woodmont High (2,151 students) and Mauldin High (2,133 students) alongside Plain 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 Plain Elementary compares
Plain 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 22% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.9% | ▼ 37% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 975 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
975
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% below 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
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,859
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 650 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 59.3%
African American 17.1%
Hispanic or Latino 14.5%
Two or More 7.6%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 59.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.2, Plain 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 Greenville 01, which includes Plain Elementary.
$11,859
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 45.7%
Federal 15.0%
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 Plain Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodmont High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mauldin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| J. L. Mann High Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Plain Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,151
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,133
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,013
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,894
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar elementary schools in Simpsonville
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~975 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Plain Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Plain Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Greenville 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 Plain Elementary
How many students attend Plain Elementary?
Plain Elementary has 975 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Simpsonville, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Plain Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Plain Elementary is 17.4:1, which is 22% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Plain Elementary?
46.9% of students at Plain Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Plain Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Plain Elementary is White at 59.3% of enrollment, in Simpsonville, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Plain Elementary?
Plain Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Plain Elementary rank among elementary schools in Simpsonville?
By Resource Investment Index, Plain Elementary ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Simpsonville, 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 Simpsonville on the city page.
Is Plain Elementary a good school?
Plain Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Greenville 01?
Besides Plain Elementary, Greenville 01 also operates Woodmont High (2,151 students), Mauldin High (2,133 students), and J. L. Mann High Academy (2,013 students). See the Greenville 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.