Enrollment
912
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Little River, SC
Waterway Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Waterway Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450249000901
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waterway Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of South Carolina schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Little River · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.2:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 67.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Waterway Elementary has class sizes larger than 92% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waterway Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Little River, SC.
School address
District: Horry 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450249000901 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.9%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waterway Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waterway Elementary
Waterway Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Little River, South Carolina, enrolling 912 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.2:1 is larger than about 92% of South Carolina schools and 27% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 67.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 912 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 153 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #9, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 203 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.0% 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 Little River's public schools, it stands alongside Riverside Elementary (697 students): Waterway Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.2:1 vs 15.2:1).
Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students) and St. James High (1,826 students) alongside Waterway 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 Waterway Elementary compares
Waterway 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 27% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.9% | ▼ 8% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 912 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
912
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 27% above state mean
Top 92% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.0%
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
Counselors4.5 FTE
Per 203 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
79
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 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 48.4%
Hispanic or Latino 20.2%
African American 17.8%
Two or More 11.7%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 48.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.9, Waterway 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 Waterway 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 Waterway 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Conway High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Socastee High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Myrtle Beach High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waterway 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 Little River
1 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 (~912 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waterway Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Waterway 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 Waterway Elementary
How many students attend Waterway Elementary?
Waterway Elementary has 912 students enrolled. It is a public school in Little River, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waterway Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Waterway Elementary is 18.2:1, which is 27% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waterway Elementary?
67.9% of students at Waterway Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waterway Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Waterway Elementary is White at 48.4% of enrollment, in Little River, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waterway Elementary?
Waterway 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 Waterway Elementary rank among public schools in Little River?
By Resource Investment Index, Waterway Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Little River, 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 Little River on the city page.
Is Waterway Elementary a good school?
Waterway Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger 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 Horry 01?
Besides Waterway 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.