Enrollment
688
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lugoff, SC
Wateree Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Wateree Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450255000009
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wateree Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Lugoff · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 64.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Wateree Elementary has class sizes larger than 71% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wateree Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Lugoff, SC.
School address
District: Kershaw 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450255000009 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.5%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wateree Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wateree Elementary
Wateree Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lugoff, South Carolina, enrolling 688 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 64.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 688 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 175 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #78.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (16%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 344 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Lugoff's public schools, it stands alongside Doby's Mill Elementary (607 students): Wateree Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.6:1 vs 16.4:1).
Kershaw 01 also operates Lugoff-Elgin High (1,759 students) and Camden High (1,136 students) alongside Wateree 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 Wateree Elementary compares
Wateree 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.5% | ▼ 13% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 688 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
688
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% below 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 71% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.0%
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
$11,827
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 61.0%
African American 16.4%
Two or More 12.5%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 61.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.8, Wateree 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 Kershaw 01, which includes Wateree Elementary.
$11,827
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.3%
State 48.1%
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 Wateree Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lugoff-Elgin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camden High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Camden Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blaney Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Leslie M. Stover Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wateree Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,759
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,136
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 844
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 750
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Lugoff
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~688 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wateree Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Wateree Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Kershaw 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 Wateree Elementary
How many students attend Wateree Elementary?
Wateree Elementary has 688 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lugoff, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wateree Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Wateree Elementary is 15.6:1, which is 9% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wateree Elementary?
64.5% of students at Wateree Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wateree Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Wateree Elementary is White at 61.0% of enrollment, in Lugoff, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wateree Elementary?
Wateree Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Wateree Elementary rank among schools in Lugoff?
By Resource Investment Index, Wateree Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Lugoff, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Lugoff on the city page.
Is Wateree Elementary a good school?
Wateree Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Kershaw 01?
Besides Wateree Elementary, Kershaw 01 also operates Lugoff-Elgin High (1,759 students), Camden High (1,136 students), and Camden Middle (844 students). See the Kershaw 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.