Enrollment
1,134
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 450111001662
River Ridge Academy — Bluffton, SC
Federal NCES profile for River Ridge Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 58/100.
👥 Class size 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 78
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: Beaufort 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)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.2%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How River Ridge Academy 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 Ridge Academy reports 1,134 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 78.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 1% 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 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 18.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 75% below the South Carolina average and 65% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 284 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 8.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Beaufort 01 spends $22,414 per pupil district-wide, above the South Carolina average of $17,182 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 56.5% from local sources (property taxes), 30.2% from the state, and 13.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C), 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 Ridge Academy 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 | 14.4:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.2% | ▼ 75% | 74.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,134 | top 91% | — | — |
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
18.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 75% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
— 1% above state mean
Top 54% in South Carolina — lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
8.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$22,414
per pupil, district-wide
— above South Carolina avg of $17,182
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 284 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
59
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,134 Top 91% in South Carolina — larger than 9% of 1,215 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 78.0
Students per teacher 14.4:1 +1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 18.2% -75% vs state
NCES ID 450111001662
Student demographics
White 57.8%
Hispanic or Latino 26.7%
African American 6.5%
Two or More 5.4%
Asian 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 57.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 284:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 8.8%
In-school suspensions 59
Out-of-school suspensions 41
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beaufort 01, which includes River Ridge Academy.
$22,414
Per student
+30%
vs South Carolina
Avg $17,182
+15%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 56.5%
State 30.2%
Federal 13.4%
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
- 1,731
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,104
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 921
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
Similar other schools in Bluffton
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pritchardville Elementary
Standard public school
887 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Bluffton Elementary
Standard public school
709 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Michael C. Riley Elementary
Standard public school
704 students 11:1 students per teacher
Okatie Elementary
Standard public school
648 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Red Cedar Elementary
Standard public school
636 students 10.7:1 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 Ridge Academy
How many students attend River Ridge Academy?
River Ridge Academy has 1,134 students enrolled. It is a other school in Bluffton, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at River Ridge Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at River Ridge Academy is 14.4:1, which is 1% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at River Ridge Academy?
18.2% of students at River Ridge Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of River Ridge Academy?
The largest demographic group at River Ridge Academy is White at 57.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Bluffton, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for River Ridge Academy?
River Ridge Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (C) 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.