Enrollment
450
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Orangeburg, SC
Sheridan Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sheridan Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450391000868
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 10
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sheridan Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Orangeburg · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sheridan Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sheridan Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Orangeburg, SC.
School address
District: Orangeburg · South Carolina
NCES ID 450391000868 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sheridan Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sheridan Elementary
Sheridan Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Orangeburg, South Carolina, enrolling 450 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 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.
With 450 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 363 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #153.
Its student body is predominantly African American (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 450 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Orangeburg's public schools, it stands alongside Marshall Elementary (625 students): Sheridan Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 16.9:1).
Orangeburg also operates Orangeburg Wilkinson High (992 students) and Lake Marion High School (692 students) alongside Sheridan 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 Sheridan Elementary compares
Sheridan 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 450 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
450
Bigger than 55% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 70% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,232
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 450 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 43 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.6 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 84.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Two or More 3.6%
White 2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 84.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.0, Sheridan 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 Orangeburg, which includes Sheridan Elementary.
$15,232
Per student
+5%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.7%
State 46.7%
Federal 19.6%
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 Sheridan Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg Wilkinson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake Marion High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edisto Primary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marshall Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edisto High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sheridan Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 692
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Orangeburg
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Marshall Elementary
Standard public school
625 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Whittaker Elementary
Standard public school
325 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Rivelon Elementary
Standard public school
222 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Brookdale Elementary
Standard public school
215 students 12.6:1 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 (~450 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sheridan Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sheridan Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Orangeburg'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 Sheridan Elementary
How many students attend Sheridan Elementary?
Sheridan Elementary has 450 students enrolled. It is a public school in Orangeburg, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sheridan Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sheridan Elementary is 15.5:1, which is 8% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sheridan Elementary?
100.0% of students at Sheridan Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sheridan Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sheridan Elementary is African American at 84.4% of enrollment, in Orangeburg, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sheridan Elementary?
Sheridan Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Sheridan Elementary rank among schools in Orangeburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Sheridan Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in Orangeburg, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Orangeburg on the city page.
Is Sheridan Elementary a good school?
Sheridan Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Orangeburg?
Besides Sheridan Elementary, Orangeburg also operates Orangeburg Wilkinson High (992 students), Lake Marion High School (692 students), and Edisto Primary (635 students). See the Orangeburg 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.