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South Carolina Student Characteristics

2022-23 School Year for Enrollment & Poverty; 2021-22 for LEP & Disability
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Sources: (1) “Active Student Headcounts, 135-Day Active Headcount,” South Carolina Department of Education (online: https://ed.sc.gov/data/other/student-counts/active-student-headcounts/). (2) “Poverty Index,” Download Data, SC School Report Card (online: https://screportcards.com/). (3) “Report Cards Data for Researchers,” Download Data, SC School Report Card (online: https://screportcards.com/).

ENROLLMENT

Over the last ten years, enrollment in South Carolina public schools (including charter schools) has grown by 8%–an average of 5,800 additional students per year.  Over the same period, enrollment in Greenville County Schools (GCS) has grown by 6%–an average of 470 additional students per year.  The COVID-19 pandemic caused a severe drop in public school enrollment in the 2020-21 school year.  Enrollment fell in South Carolina by 2.5% and in Greenville County Schools by 4%.  The drop in GCS enrollment in the 2017-18 school year was due to four charter schools moving from the school district to the South Carolina Public Charter School District (a statewide school district for charter schools).

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Student Count (135-Day Active Headcount, 45-Day in 2022-23)

School Years 2012-13 to 2022-23

Enrollment is measured by the “135-day active student headcount,” or the number of students actively enrolled on the 135th day of school. (Student headcounts are also taken on the 45th and 180th days of the school year.)

Source: “Active Student Headcounts, 135-Day Active Headcount” South Carolina Department of Education. (online: https://ed.sc.gov/data/other/student-counts/active-student-headcounts/)

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POVERTY

The percentage of students in poverty in Greenville County Schools is currently 56%.  During the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate was 60%   In South Carolina public schools, the rate has hovered around 61% to 62% the last six years.

POVERTY INDEX

The Poverty Index is the percentage of students who are transient, in foster care, homeless, or have been Medicaid-eligible or qualified for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) services within the last three years.  (This measure of poverty in South Carolina public schools was fully implemented starting with the 2015-16 school year.)

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Poverty Index (Greenville County Schools Vs. South Carolina)

School Years 2015-16 to 2022-23 (this last year's rate based on the 45-Day Headcount)

Source: Poverty Index data file, SC School Report Card, (online:https://screportcards.com/)

HOMELESS STUDENTS

Nearly 2% of Greenville County Students were homeless during the 2021-22 school year.  The number of homeless students that year (1,270) was a 75% increase from 8 years earlier (2013-14).  The drop in homeless students in 2020-21 occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Students identified as homeless include those living in shelters, in motels or doubling up with other families.  It also includes those who were unsheltered.

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Homeless Students in Greenville County Schools

School Years 2011-12 to 2021-22
(2011-2012) 582 Students
(2012-2013) 869 Students
(2013-2014) 728 Students
(2014-2015) 771 Students
(2015-2016) 796 Students
(2016-2017) 946 Students
(2017-2018) 1,089 Students
(2018-2019) 1,124 Students
(2019-2020) 1,142 Students
(2020-2021) 825 Students
(2021-2022) 1,272 Students

Source: Homeless Education Liaison Office, Greenville County Schools, and the Greenville Homeless Alliance.

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ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

More than one in seven students in Greenville County Schools is limited English proficient (LEP), also known as a multilingual learner.  The percentage steadily increased over the previous three years.  The 2021-22 percentage for the school district is 70% higher than that for all public schools in the state.  LEP students do not speak English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English. Learn more about the English language learner assessment.

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Percent of Students with Limited English Proficiency

School Years 2017-18 to 2021-22

Source: Enrollment and English Learners, ReportCardData_forResearchers data file, SC School Report Card, (online:https://screportcards.com/)

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DISABLED STUDENTS

One in six students in Greenville County Schools has some kind of disability.  This is slightly higher than for the state as a whole.  The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), defines disabled students as having one of the following conditions: 1.) specific learning disability (such as dyslexia); 2.) other health impairment (such as ADHD); 3.) autism spectrum disorder (ASD); 4.) emotional disturbance; 5.) speech or language impairment; 6.) visual impairment including blindness; 7.) deafness; 8.) hearing impairment; 9.) deaf-blindness; 10.) orthopedic impairment; 11.) intellectual disability (such as Down Syndrome); 12.) traumatic brain injury; and 13.) multiple disabilities.

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Percent of Students with Disabilities

School Years 2020-21 to 2021-22

Source: Participation Rates, ReportCardData_forResearchers data file, SC School Report Card, (online:https://screportcards.com/; “The 13 Conditions Covered Under IDEA.” (online: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/special-services/special-education-basics/conditions-covered-under-idea)

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