J. K. Gourdin Elementary

J. K. Gourdin Elementary is a very small primary school in Pineville, South Carolina, operated by Berkeley 01. The school educates 120 students in grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 77% below the typical public school in South Carolina, which averages around 526 students.

Berkeley 01 comprises 47 schools with combined enrollment of 39,543 students; J. K. Gourdin Elementary is among them.

For racial and ethnic makeup, J. K. Gourdin Elementary shows that nearly all students (85%) are Black. Other groups include 8% multiracial, 7% White. By comparison, Berkeley County as a whole is about 23% Black, so the school skews visibly more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, J. K. Gourdin Elementary has 10 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.1:1. The state averages around 13.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. About 100% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Berkeley County put the typical household earns roughly $84,358 per year, about 31% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 8%. In all, Berkeley County runs 49 public schools (combined enrollment of about 40,966 students), of which J. K. Gourdin Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is St. Stephen Middle, roughly 3.6 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around J. K. Gourdin Elementary.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Over the past 6-year window. Looking back 6 years, enrollment at J. K. Gourdin Elementary has fell 12%, going from 136 students in 2018 to 120 in 2024. The Black share of enrollment fell from 96% to 85% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 13.6:1 in 2018 to 11.5:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for J. K. Gourdin Elementary typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.