Enrollment
479
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chester, SC
Chester Middle
Federal NCES profile for Chester Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450153000299
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chester Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Chester · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.3:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Chester Middle has class sizes smaller than 75% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Middle ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Chester, SC.
School address
District: Chester 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450153000299 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chester Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chester Middle
Chester Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Chester, South Carolina, enrolling 479 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 479 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 374 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #171.
Its student body is led by African American (56%) and White (24%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 240 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 52.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 497 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 479 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Chester 01 also operates Chester Senior High (699 students) and Lewisville Elementary (594 students) alongside Chester 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 Chester Middle compares
Chester 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 14% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 479 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
479
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 25% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
52.8%
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
$14,214
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 240 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
276
in-school suspensions + 221 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 57.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 103.8 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
African American 55.9%
White 23.6%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
Two or More 6.5%
Largest group: African American at 55.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.8, Chester Middle is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chester 01, which includes Chester Middle.
$14,214
Per student
-2%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.8%
State 45.8%
Federal 20.4%
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 Chester Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lewisville Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lewisville High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Great Falls High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chester Park School Elementary of Inquiry | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chester Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 699
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 431
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 355
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~479 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chester Middle's federal record.
- Compare Chester Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Chester 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 Chester Middle
How many students attend Chester Middle?
Chester Middle has 479 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chester, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chester Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Chester Middle is 12.3:1, which is 14% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 22% 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 Chester Middle?
100.0% of students at Chester Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chester Middle?
The largest demographic group at Chester Middle is African American at 55.9% of enrollment, in Chester, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chester Middle?
Chester Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Chester Middle rank among public schools in Chester?
By Resource Investment Index, Chester Middle ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Chester, 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 Chester on the city page.
Is Chester Middle a good school?
Chester Middle earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Chester 01?
Besides Chester Middle, Chester 01 also operates Chester Senior High (699 students), Lewisville Elementary (594 students), and Lewisville High (431 students). See the Chester 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.