Enrollment
430
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · St. Stephen, SC
St. Stephen Elementary
Federal NCES profile for St. Stephen Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450117000165
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
St. Stephen Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of South Carolina schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in St. Stephen · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
St. Stephen Elementary has class sizes larger than 85% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, St. Stephen Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in St. Stephen, SC.
School address
District: Berkeley 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450117000165 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How St. Stephen Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at St. Stephen Elementary
St. Stephen Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in St. Stephen, South Carolina, enrolling 430 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 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 430 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 350 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #272, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (69%) and White (20%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 430 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Berkeley 01 spends $11,201 per pupil, 23% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Berkeley 01 also operates Stratford High (2,605 students) and Cane Bay High (2,412 students) alongside St. Stephen 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 St. Stephen Elementary compares
St. Stephen 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 20% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 430 | top 65% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
430
Bigger than 52% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 85% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.7%
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
$11,201
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 430 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.3 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 69.1%
White 19.5%
Two or More 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 69.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.7, St. Stephen 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 Berkeley 01, which includes St. Stephen Elementary.
$11,201
Per student
-23%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.7%
State 43.0%
Federal 13.3%
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 St. Stephen Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratford High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cane Bay High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Berkeley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goose Creek High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Berkeley Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to St. Stephen Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,605
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,412
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 2,047
- Students per teacher
- 23.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,973
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,477
- Students per teacher
- 24.2:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~430 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on St. Stephen Elementary's federal record.
- Compare St. Stephen Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Berkeley 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 St. Stephen Elementary
How many students attend St. Stephen Elementary?
St. Stephen Elementary has 430 students enrolled. It is a public school in St. Stephen, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at St. Stephen Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at St. Stephen Elementary is 17.2:1, which is 20% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at St. Stephen Elementary?
100.0% of students at St. Stephen Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of St. Stephen Elementary?
The largest demographic group at St. Stephen Elementary is African American at 69.1% of enrollment, in St. Stephen, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for St. Stephen Elementary?
St. Stephen Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 St. Stephen Elementary rank among public schools in St. Stephen?
By Resource Investment Index, St. Stephen Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in St. Stephen, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in St. Stephen on the city page.
Is St. Stephen Elementary a good school?
St. Stephen Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 Berkeley 01?
Besides St. Stephen Elementary, Berkeley 01 also operates Stratford High (2,605 students), Cane Bay High (2,412 students), and Berkeley High (2,047 students). See the Berkeley 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.