Enrollment
188
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hartsville, SC
Thornwell School for the Arts
Federal NCES profile for Thornwell School for the Arts, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450186000363
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thornwell School for the Arts earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Hartsville · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.9:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Thornwell School for the Arts has class sizes smaller than 92% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thornwell School for the Arts ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Hartsville, SC.
School address
District: Darlington 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450186000363 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.9:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thornwell School for the Arts compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thornwell School for the Arts
Thornwell School for the Arts is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Hartsville, South Carolina, enrolling 188 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.9:1, Thornwell School for the Arts is leaner than roughly 92% of South Carolina schools and 31% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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 188 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 90 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #49.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and White (15%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 188 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 54 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 188 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Hartsville's elementary schools, it stands alongside North Hartsville Elementary (486 students): Thornwell School for the Arts is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.9:1 vs 12.5:1).
Darlington 01 also operates Hartsville High (1,129 students) and Darlington High (965 students) alongside Thornwell School for the Arts.
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 Thornwell School for the Arts compares
Thornwell School for the Arts 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 | 9.9:1 | ▼ 31% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 188 | top 93% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.9:1
Leaner classes than 89% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
188
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
9.9:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 8% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.8%
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
$16,032
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 188 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.7 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 64.9%
White 15.4%
Two or More 14.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Largest group: African American at 64.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.1, Thornwell School for the Arts is about as mixed as the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Darlington 01, which includes Thornwell School for the Arts.
$16,032
Per student
+10%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 40.1%
Federal 21.4%
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 Thornwell School for the Arts Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartsville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Darlington High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Darlington Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hartsville Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| St. John's Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thornwell School for the Arts's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,129
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 965
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 888
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in Hartsville
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~188 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thornwell School for the Arts's federal record.
- Compare Thornwell School for the Arts against another school. Compare schools
- Darlington 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 Thornwell School for the Arts
How many students attend Thornwell School for the Arts?
Thornwell School for the Arts has 188 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hartsville, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thornwell School for the Arts?
The student-teacher ratio at Thornwell School for the Arts is 9.9:1, which is 31% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 37% 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 Thornwell School for the Arts?
100.0% of students at Thornwell School for the Arts are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thornwell School for the Arts?
The largest demographic group at Thornwell School for the Arts is African American at 64.9% of enrollment, in Hartsville, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thornwell School for the Arts?
Thornwell School for the Arts has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Thornwell School for the Arts rank among elementary schools in Hartsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Thornwell School for the Arts ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Hartsville, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Hartsville on the city page.
Is Thornwell School for the Arts a good school?
Thornwell School for the Arts earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% 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 Darlington 01?
Besides Thornwell School for the Arts, Darlington 01 also operates Hartsville High (1,129 students), Darlington High (965 students), and Darlington Middle (888 students). See the Darlington 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.