Lee 01

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. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Bishopville, South Carolina - 5 schools

An equity score of 87/100 ranks Lee 01 #2 of 74 districts in South Carolina (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,558 per pupil, Lee 01 ranks #14 of 75 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending (South Carolina districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,476
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$17,558
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lee 01 operates 5 public schools serving 1,476 students, placing it among the smallest districts in South Carolina. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Lee County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,558 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 75 South Carolina districts by per-pupil spending. See how South Carolina compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 27.8% local, 45.2% state, and 27.0% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 87/100, ranked #2 of 74 in South Carolina against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 186:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 34.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.6% African American, 6.4% White, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is West Lee Elementary, with a diversity index of 26.9/100.

Its largest campus is Lee Central High, enrolling 402 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is West Lee Elementary, at 98 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Lee Central High accounts for 27.2% of all Lee 01 student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Lee 01-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Lee 01 school enrollment varies 4.1× across entities

Lee 01 school enrollment ranges from 98 students (lowest) to 402 students (highest), a spread of 304 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Lee 01 reports 100.0% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share is above 87.5%, so economic need is widespread across the measured student population. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Lee 01 student-counselor ratio is 186:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Lee 01 chronic absenteeism rate is 34.4% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

27.0%
Federal
45.2%
State
27.8%
Local

Funding Equity

87
Equity Score
2 / 74
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 5 schools in Lee 01.

White 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
African American 89.6%
Multiracial 0.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 19.1/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Lee 01's schools, below the South Carolina average of 52.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 West Lee Elementary 26.9
  2. 2 Lee Central Middle 22.7
  3. 3 Lee Central High 18.5
  4. 4 Dennis Elementary 13.9
  5. 5 Lower Lee Elementary 13.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
1 AP courses total
186:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
34.4%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Lee 01

School Enrollment
Lee Central High
402
Dennis Elementary
359
Lee Central Middle
288
Lower Lee Elementary
128
West Lee Elementary
98

How Lee 01 Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The South Carolina districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Greenwood 52 Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Dillon 03 Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Calhoun 01 Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Florence 05 Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Barnwell 48 Similar size Similar spending No revenue-mix data

Comparisons are relative to Lee 01's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in South Carolina

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Greenville 01
77,978 students · 92 schools · $12,375/pupil
Compare vs Lee 01 →
Charleston 01
49,929 students · 82 schools · $16,635/pupil
Compare vs Lee 01 →
Horry 01
47,357 students · 57 schools · $13,222/pupil
Compare vs Lee 01 →
Berkeley 01
37,932 students · 46 schools · $12,810/pupil
Compare vs Lee 01 →
Richland 02
28,510 students · 32 schools · $14,024/pupil
Compare vs Lee 01 →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Lee 01

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Greenville 01 →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Lee 01?

Lee 01 has 5 schools, including 1 high, 3 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,476 students.

How much does Lee 01 spend per student?

Lee 01 spends $17,558 per student. The district has an equity score of 87/100, ranking #2 in South Carolina.

What is the demographic composition of Lee 01?

Lee 01 students are 89.6% African American, 6.4% White, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Lee 01?

Lee 01 has an equity score of 87/100, ranking #2 out of 74 districts in South Carolina.