Enrollment
874
West Virginia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South Charleston, WV
South Charleston High School
Federal NCES profile for South Charleston High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 540060000442
👥 S:T ratio 26
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Charleston High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of West Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in West Virginia.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in South Charleston · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.6:1
- large classes for West Virginia
- 874
- students enrolled
South Charleston High School has class sizes larger than 97% of West Virginia schools. Computed live against every West Virginia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Charleston High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in South Charleston, WV.
School address
District: Kanawha County Schools · West Virginia
NCES ID 540060000442 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 13.1:1 West Virginia avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Charleston High School compares with West Virginia and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Charleston High School
South Charleston High School is a large high school in South Charleston, West Virginia, enrolling 874 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.6:1 is larger than about 97% of West Virginia schools and 42% above the 13.1:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in West Virginia, bigger than 95% of state schools at 874 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 643 scored West Virginia schools.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 52/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 291 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 243 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 874 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Kanawha County Schools also operates George Washington High School (1,145 students) and Riverside High School (1,057 students) alongside South Charleston High School.
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 South Charleston High School compares
South Charleston High School on the metrics families compare, against West Virginia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs West Virginia | West Virginia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.6:1 | ▲ 42% | 13.1:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 874 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
874
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 42% above state mean
Top 97% in West Virginia - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.8%
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
$13,227
per pupil, district-wide
- below West Virginia avg of $14,844
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 291 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
99
in-school suspensions + 144 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.8 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 65.4%
African American 21.4%
Two or More 9.8%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 65.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.6, South Charleston High School is more mixed than the West Virginia school average of 17.9.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kanawha County Schools, which includes South Charleston High School.
$13,227
Per student
-11%
vs West Virginia
Avg $14,844
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 40.8%
Federal 25.4%
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.
How South Charleston High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Capital High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Saint Albans High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nitro High School | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Charleston High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,145
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,057
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 882
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of West Virginia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~874 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Charleston High School's federal record.
- Compare South Charleston High School against another school. Compare schools
- Kanawha County Schools'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 South Charleston High School
How many students attend South Charleston High School?
South Charleston High School has 874 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Charleston, WV.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Charleston High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Charleston High School is 18.6:1, which is 42% higher than the West Virginia average of 13.1:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Charleston High School?
The largest demographic group at South Charleston High School is White at 65.4% of enrollment, in South Charleston, WV. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Charleston High School?
South Charleston High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Charleston High School rank among public schools in South Charleston?
By Resource Investment Index, South Charleston High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in South Charleston, WV. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in South Charleston on the city page.
Is South Charleston High School a good school?
South Charleston High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of West Virginia schools. It is also one of the largest schools in West Virginia. 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 Kanawha County Schools?
Besides South Charleston High School, Kanawha County Schools also operates George Washington High School (1,145 students), Riverside High School (1,057 students), and Capital High School (1,051 students). See the Kanawha County Schools 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.