Enrollment
522
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Greenville, SC
Thomas E. Kerns Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Thomas E. Kerns Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450231001035
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas E. Kerns Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #21 of 21
- schools in Greenville · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas E. Kerns Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas E. Kerns Elementary ranks #21 of 21 schools in Greenville, SC.
School address
District: Greenville 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450231001035 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas E. Kerns Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas E. Kerns Elementary
Thomas E. Kerns Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Greenville, South Carolina, enrolling 522 students.
At 14.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
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 522 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 386 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #346, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and African American (40%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 522 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Greenville's public schools, it stands alongside Cyber Academy of South Carolina (3,280 students): Thomas E. Kerns Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.1:1 vs 19.3:1).
Greenville 01 also operates Woodmont High (2,151 students) and Mauldin High (2,133 students) alongside Thomas E. Kerns 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 Thomas E. Kerns Elementary compares
Thomas E. Kerns 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 522 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
522
Bigger than 64% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 51% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.6%
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
$11,859
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 522 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
27
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.9 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
Hispanic or Latino 46.6%
African American 40.4%
White 7.9%
Two or More 3.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 46.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, Thomas E. Kerns Elementary is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Greenville 01, which includes Thomas E. Kerns Elementary.
$11,859
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 45.7%
Federal 15.0%
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 Thomas E. Kerns Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodmont High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mauldin High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J. L. Mann High Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas E. Kerns Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,151
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,133
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,013
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,894
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Greenville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cyber Academy of South Carolina
Standard public school
3,280 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Legacy Early College
Standard public school
1,592 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Robert E. Cashion Elementary
Standard public school
964 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Greenbrier Elementary
Standard public school
876 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Blythe Academy
Standard public school
866 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Lake Forest Elementary
Standard public school
829 students 15.9:1 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 (~522 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas E. Kerns Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Thomas E. Kerns Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Greenville 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 Thomas E. Kerns Elementary
How many students attend Thomas E. Kerns Elementary?
Thomas E. Kerns Elementary has 522 students enrolled. It is a public school in Greenville, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas E. Kerns Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas E. Kerns Elementary is 14.1:1, which is 1% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas E. Kerns Elementary?
100.0% of students at Thomas E. Kerns Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas E. Kerns Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Thomas E. Kerns Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 46.6% of enrollment, in Greenville, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas E. Kerns Elementary?
Thomas E. Kerns Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Thomas E. Kerns Elementary rank among schools in Greenville?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas E. Kerns Elementary ranks #21 of 21 schools in Greenville, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Greenville on the city page.
Is Thomas E. Kerns Elementary a good school?
Thomas E. Kerns Elementary earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. 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 Greenville 01?
Besides Thomas E. Kerns Elementary, Greenville 01 also operates Woodmont High (2,151 students), Mauldin High (2,133 students), and J. L. Mann High Academy (2,013 students). See the Greenville 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.