Enrollment
187
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Dillon, SC
South Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450192000382
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 63
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of South Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Dillon · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
South Elementary has class sizes larger than 71% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Dillon, SC.
School address
District: Dillon 04 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450192000382 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Elementary
South Elementary is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Dillon, South Carolina, enrolling 187 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 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.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 93% of South Carolina schools, with 187 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 89 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #84, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 187 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 78.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 31.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Dillon's public schools, it stands alongside East Elementary (423 students): South Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 18.4:1).
Dillon 04 also operates Dillon High (804 students) and Dillon Middle (624 students) alongside South 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 South Elementary compares
South 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 187 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
187
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 71% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
78.1%
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
$11,799
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 187 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dillon 04, which includes South Elementary.
$11,799
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.5%
State 52.4%
Federal 31.1%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dillon High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dillon Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake View High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Stewart Heights Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Dillon
2 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 (~187 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Dillon 04'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 Elementary
How many students attend South Elementary?
South Elementary has 187 students enrolled. It is a public school in Dillon, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elementary is 15.6:1, which is 9% 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 South Elementary?
100.0% of students at South Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elementary?
South Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 South Elementary rank among schools in Dillon?
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary ranks #2 of 3 schools in Dillon, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Dillon on the city page.
Is South Elementary a good school?
South Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Dillon 04?
Besides South Elementary, Dillon 04 also operates Dillon High (804 students), Dillon Middle (624 students), and Lake View High (483 students). See the Dillon 04 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.