Enrollment
728
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 450201001489
River Oaks Middle — North Charleston, SC
Federal NCES profile for River Oaks Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 41/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
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: Dorchester 02 · 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)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
76.4%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How River Oaks Middle 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
River Oaks Middle reports 728 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 58.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% above the South Carolina state mean of 14.3:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 8% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 76.4% 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 243 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 45.5% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Dorchester 02 spends $13,014 per pupil district-wide, below the South Carolina average of $17,182 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 32.4% from local sources (property taxes), 53.8% from the state, and 13.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 River Oaks Middle 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 | 14.6:1 | ▲ 2% | 14.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 76.4% | ▲ 3% | 74.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 728 | top 70% | — | — |
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
76.4%
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
14.6:1
students per teacher
— 2% above state mean
Top 58% in South Carolina — lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
45.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,014
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 243 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
328
in-school suspensions + 227 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 45.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 76.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 728 Top 70% in South Carolina — larger than 30% of 1,215 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 58.0
Students per teacher 14.6:1 +2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 76.4% +3% vs state
NCES ID 450201001489
Student demographics
African American 42.2%
Hispanic or Latino 24.3%
White 21.7%
Two or More 9.5%
Asian 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 42.2% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 243:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 45.5%
In-school suspensions 328
Out-of-school suspensions 227
Expulsions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dorchester 02, which includes River Oaks Middle.
$13,014
Per student
-24%
vs South Carolina
Avg $17,182
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 32.4%
State 53.8%
Federal 13.8%
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
- 3,361
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Enrollment
- 2,599
- Students per teacher
- 21.2:1
- Enrollment
- 2,344
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,169
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 1,079
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
Similar middle schools in North Charleston
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Northwoods Middle
Standard public school
708 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Morningside Middle
Standard public school
552 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science
Standard public school
513 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Deer Park Middle
Standard public school
315 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
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 River Oaks Middle
How many students attend River Oaks Middle?
River Oaks Middle has 728 students enrolled. It is a middle school in North Charleston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at River Oaks Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at River Oaks Middle is 14.6:1, which is 2% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at River Oaks Middle?
76.4% of students at River Oaks Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of River Oaks Middle?
The largest demographic group at River Oaks Middle is African American at 42.2%. The school serves a diverse student body in North Charleston, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for River Oaks Middle?
River Oaks Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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.