Enrollment
479
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbia, SC
Sandel Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sandel Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450336000931
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sandel Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #27 of 43
- schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sandel Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sandel Elementary ranks #27 of 43 schools in Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Richland 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450336000931 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sandel Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sandel Elementary
Sandel Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 479 students.
At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 479 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 374 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #171.
Its student body is led by African American (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 240 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Richland 01 spends $18,122 per pupil, 24% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Columbia's public schools, it stands alongside Sc Connections Academy (6,152 students): Sandel Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 27.8:1).
Richland 01 also operates A. C. Flora High (1,328 students) and Lower Richland High (1,218 students) alongside Sandel 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 Sandel Elementary compares
Sandel 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 479 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
479
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 45% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
38.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$18,122
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 240 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 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
African American 78.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.3%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 3.5%
White 1.5%
Largest group: African American at 78.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.8, Sandel Elementary is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland 01, which includes Sandel Elementary.
$18,122
Per student
+24%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.1%
State 28.3%
Federal 13.6%
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 Sandel Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. C. Flora High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lower Richland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dreher High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crayton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brennen Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sandel Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,328
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,218
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Columbia
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sc Connections Academy
Standard public school
6,152 students 27.8:1 students per teacher
Brennen Elementary
Standard public school
805 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Rice Creek Elementary
Standard public school
718 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Caughman Road Elementary
Standard public school
715 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Killian Elementary
Standard public school
699 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Sandlapper Elementary
Standard public school
671 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~479 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sandel Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sandel Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 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 Sandel Elementary
How many students attend Sandel Elementary?
Sandel Elementary has 479 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sandel Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sandel Elementary is 13.7:1, which is 4% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sandel Elementary?
100.0% of students at Sandel Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sandel Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sandel Elementary is African American at 78.3% of enrollment, in Columbia, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sandel Elementary?
Sandel Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Sandel Elementary rank among schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Sandel Elementary ranks #27 of 43 schools in Columbia, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Sandel Elementary a good school?
Sandel Elementary earns 43/100 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 Richland 01?
Besides Sandel Elementary, Richland 01 also operates A. C. Flora High (1,328 students), Lower Richland High (1,218 students), and Dreher High (1,144 students). See the Richland 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.