Enrollment
1,047
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Conway, SC
Waccamaw Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Waccamaw Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450249000629
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waccamaw Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #4 of 7
- schools in Conway · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.4:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Waccamaw Elementary has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waccamaw Elementary ranks #4 of 7 schools in Conway, SC.
School address
District: Horry 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450249000629 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
68.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waccamaw Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waccamaw Elementary
Waccamaw Elementary is a high-poverty, large combined-grade school in Conway, South Carolina, enrolling 1,047 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 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.
Enrollment of 1,047 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 125 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Conway's public schools, it stands alongside Pee Dee Elementary (927 students): Waccamaw Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.4:1 vs 14.3:1).
Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students) and St. James High (1,826 students) alongside Waccamaw 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 Waccamaw Elementary compares
Waccamaw 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,047 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,047
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 69% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,785
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 262 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.7 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
White 49.5%
Hispanic or Latino 22.9%
African American 17.7%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 49.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Waccamaw 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 Horry 01, which includes Waccamaw Elementary.
$12,785
Per student
-12%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.9%
State 36.1%
Federal 16.0%
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 Waccamaw Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Forest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. James High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Conway High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Socastee High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Myrtle Beach High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waccamaw Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,176
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,826
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,673
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Conway
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pee Dee Elementary
Standard public school
927 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Homewood Elementary
Standard public school
671 students 14:1 students per teacher
South Conway Elementary
Standard public school
642 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Conway Elementary
Standard public school
583 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Kingston Elementary
Standard public school
517 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Academy of Hope Charter
Standard public school
100 students 7.7:1 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 (~1,047 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waccamaw Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Waccamaw Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Horry 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 Waccamaw Elementary
How many students attend Waccamaw Elementary?
Waccamaw Elementary has 1,047 students enrolled. It is a public school in Conway, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waccamaw Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Waccamaw Elementary is 15.4:1, which is 8% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waccamaw Elementary?
100.0% of students at Waccamaw Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waccamaw Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Waccamaw Elementary is White at 49.5% of enrollment, in Conway, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waccamaw Elementary?
Waccamaw Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Waccamaw Elementary rank among schools in Conway?
By Resource Investment Index, Waccamaw Elementary ranks #4 of 7 schools in Conway, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Conway on the city page.
Is Waccamaw Elementary a good school?
Waccamaw Elementary earns 55/100 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 Horry 01?
Besides Waccamaw Elementary, Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students), St. James High (1,826 students), and Conway High (1,724 students). See the Horry 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.