Enrollment
374
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lancaster, SC
Buford Middle
Federal NCES profile for Buford Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450258000039
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Buford Middle earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #2 of 3
- middle schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 56.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Buford Middle has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Buford Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Lancaster, SC.
School address
District: Lancaster 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450258000039 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.3%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Buford Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Buford Middle
Buford Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Lancaster, South Carolina, enrolling 374 students.
At 13.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 56.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 374 puts it in the smaller 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 58 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #38.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 374 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 179 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 374 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 10 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lancaster's middle schools, it stands alongside A. R. Rucker Middle (477 students): Buford Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.4:1 vs 13.6:1).
Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students) and Lancaster High (1,390 students) alongside Buford Middle.
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 Buford Middle compares
Buford Middle 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.3% | ▼ 24% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 374 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
374
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 41% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$11,853
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 374 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
92
in-school suspensions + 87 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 47.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 10 expulsions.
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 78.1%
Hispanic or Latino 14.7%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 78.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.6, Buford Middle is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lancaster 01, which includes Buford Middle.
$11,853
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.3%
State 46.8%
Federal 16.9%
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 Buford Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Land High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lancaster High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harrisburg Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Buford Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,905
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,102
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar middle schools in Lancaster
2 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~374 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Buford Middle's federal record.
- Compare Buford Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lancaster 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 Buford Middle
How many students attend Buford Middle?
Buford Middle has 374 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lancaster, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Buford Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Buford Middle is 13.4:1, which is 6% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Buford Middle?
56.3% of students at Buford Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Buford Middle?
The largest demographic group at Buford Middle is White at 78.1% of enrollment, in Lancaster, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Buford Middle?
Buford Middle 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 Buford Middle rank among middle schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Buford Middle ranks #2 of 3 middle schools in Lancaster, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Lancaster on the city page.
Is Buford Middle a good school?
Buford Middle earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. 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 Lancaster 01?
Besides Buford Middle, Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students), Lancaster High (1,390 students), and Indian Land Intermediate (1,181 students). See the Lancaster 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.