Enrollment
382
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Aiken, SC
Tall Pines Stem Academy
Federal NCES profile for Tall Pines Stem Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450390101665Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tall Pines Stem Academy earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 17
- public schools in Aiken · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.4:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 9.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Tall Pines Stem Academy has class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tall Pines Stem Academy ranks #1 of 17 public schools in Aiken, SC.
School address
District: Sc Public Charter School District · South Carolina
NCES ID 450390101665 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.7%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tall Pines Stem Academy compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tall Pines Stem Academy
Tall Pines Stem Academy is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Aiken, South Carolina, enrolling 382 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.4:1 is larger than about 87% of South Carolina schools and 22% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.7% free-meal eligibility runs 87% below the South Carolina average.
Enrollment of 382 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 22 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #4.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 27/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Sc Public Charter School District spends $22,523 per pupil, 55% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students) and Legacy Early College (1,592 students) alongside Tall Pines Stem Academy.
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 Tall Pines Stem Academy compares
Tall Pines Stem Academy 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 | 17.4:1 | ▲ 22% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.7% | ▼ 87% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 382 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.4:1
Leaner classes than 28% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
382
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 87% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
7.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$22,523
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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.
Student demographics
White 85.3%
Two or More 5.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
African American 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 85.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.6, Tall Pines Stem Academy is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sc Public Charter School District, which includes Tall Pines Stem Academy.
$22,523
Per student
+55%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.8%
State 80.6%
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 Tall Pines Stem Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Preparatory Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Legacy Early College | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bridges Preparatory School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| High Point Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Green Charter School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tall Pines Stem Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,672
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,592
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~382 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tall Pines Stem Academy's federal record.
- Compare Tall Pines Stem Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Sc Public Charter School District'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 Tall Pines Stem Academy
How many students attend Tall Pines Stem Academy?
Tall Pines Stem Academy has 382 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Aiken, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tall Pines Stem Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Tall Pines Stem Academy is 17.4:1, which is 22% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tall Pines Stem Academy?
9.7% of students at Tall Pines Stem Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tall Pines Stem Academy?
The largest demographic group at Tall Pines Stem Academy is White at 85.3% of enrollment, in Aiken, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tall Pines Stem Academy?
Tall Pines Stem Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Tall Pines Stem Academy rank among public schools in Aiken?
By Resource Investment Index, Tall Pines Stem Academy ranks #1 of 17 public schools in Aiken, 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 Aiken on the city page.
Is Tall Pines Stem Academy a good school?
Tall Pines Stem Academy earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Sc Public Charter School District?
Besides Tall Pines Stem Academy, Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students), Legacy Early College (1,592 students), and Bridges Preparatory School (1,472 students). See the Sc Public Charter School District 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.