Enrollment
721
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Columbia, SC
Satchel Ford Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Satchel Ford Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450336000930
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Satchel Ford Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 5
- elementary schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Satchel Ford Elementary has class sizes larger than 76% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Satchel Ford Elementary ranks #3 of 5 elementary schools in Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Richland 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450336000930 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Satchel Ford Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Satchel Ford Elementary
Satchel Ford Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 721 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
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.
Enrollment of 721 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 270 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and African American (21%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 721 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Richland 01 spends $18,122 per pupil, 24% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Columbia's elementary schools, it stands alongside E. L. Wright Middle (1,275 students): Satchel Ford Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16:1 vs 14.7:1).
Richland 01 also operates A. C. Flora High (1,328 students) and Lower Richland High (1,218 students) alongside Satchel Ford 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 Satchel Ford Elementary compares
Satchel Ford 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 | 16:1 | ▲ 12% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 721 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
721
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
16:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 76% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 721 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.0 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 69.2%
African American 20.9%
Two or More 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.7%
Largest group: White at 69.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.3, Satchel Ford 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 Satchel Ford 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 Satchel Ford Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. C. Flora High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lower Richland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dreher High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crayton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brennen Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Satchel Ford 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 elementary schools in Columbia
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
E. L. Wright Middle
Standard public school
1,275 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Summit Parkway Middle
Standard public school
1,229 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Rosewood Elementary
Standard public school
338 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy
Standard public school
216 students 8.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~721 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Satchel Ford Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Satchel Ford 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 Satchel Ford Elementary
How many students attend Satchel Ford Elementary?
Satchel Ford Elementary has 721 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Satchel Ford Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Satchel Ford Elementary is 16:1, which is 12% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 2% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Satchel Ford Elementary?
100.0% of students at Satchel Ford Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Satchel Ford Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Satchel Ford Elementary is White at 69.2% of enrollment, in Columbia, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Satchel Ford Elementary?
Satchel Ford Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Satchel Ford Elementary rank among elementary schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Satchel Ford Elementary ranks #3 of 5 elementary 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 elementary schools in Columbia on the city page.
Is Satchel Ford Elementary a good school?
Satchel Ford Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Richland 01?
Besides Satchel Ford 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.