Enrollment
697
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Little River, SC
Riverside Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450249001644
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Little River · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 73.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Little River, SC.
School address
District: Horry 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450249001644 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
73.2%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside Elementary
Riverside Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Little River, South Carolina, enrolling 697 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 73.2% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 697 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 140 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and African American (30%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 199 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
15.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Little River's public schools, it stands alongside Waterway Elementary (912 students): Riverside Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.2:1 vs 18.2:1).
Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students) and St. James High (1,826 students) alongside Riverside 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 Riverside Elementary compares
Riverside 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 73.2% | ▼ 1% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 697 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
697
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
73.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 66% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
15.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,785
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
Counselors3.5 FTE
Per 199 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
74
in-school suspensions + 63 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.7 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 44.9%
African American 29.8%
Hispanic or Latino 12.3%
Two or More 11.0%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 44.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.2, Riverside 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 Horry 01, which includes Riverside Elementary.
$12,785
Per student
-12%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.9%
State 36.1%
Federal 16.0%
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 Riverside Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Forest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. James High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Conway High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Socastee High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Myrtle Beach High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,176
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,826
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,673
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Little River
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 (~697 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Riverside Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Horry 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 Riverside Elementary
How many students attend Riverside Elementary?
Riverside Elementary has 697 students enrolled. It is a public school in Little River, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 6% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Riverside Elementary?
73.2% of students at Riverside Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Elementary is White at 44.9% of enrollment, in Little River, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Elementary?
Riverside Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Riverside Elementary rank among public schools in Little River?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Little River, 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 Little River on the city page.
Is Riverside Elementary a good school?
Riverside Elementary earns 57/100 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 Horry 01?
Besides Riverside Elementary, Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students), St. James High (1,826 students), and Conway High (1,724 students). See the Horry 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.