Enrollment
605
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Spartanburg, SC
Clifdale Middle
Federal NCES profile for Clifdale Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450354001767
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clifdale Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- middle schools in Spartanburg · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 70.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Clifdale Middle has class sizes smaller than 71% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clifdale Middle ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Spartanburg, SC.
School address
District: Spartanburg 03 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450354001767 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.8%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clifdale Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clifdale Middle
Clifdale Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, enrolling 605 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 70.8% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 605 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 141 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #26.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 303 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 320 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 605 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Spartanburg's middle schools, it stands alongside Fairforest Middle (1,007 students): Clifdale Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.6:1 vs 14.2:1).
Spartanburg 03 also operates Broome High (865 students) and Cowpens Elementary (460 students) alongside Clifdale 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 Clifdale Middle compares
Clifdale 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.8% | ▼ 4% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 605 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
605
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 29% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.3%
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
$14,293
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 303 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
181
in-school suspensions + 139 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 29.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 52.9 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
White 65.3%
African American 14.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
Two or More 7.3%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.3, Clifdale Middle is about as mixed as the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Spartanburg 03, which includes Clifdale Middle.
$14,293
Per student
-2%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.0%
State 48.5%
Federal 14.5%
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 Clifdale Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broome High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cowpens Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pacolet Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cannons Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clifdale Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 865
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 460
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 429
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 389
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in Spartanburg
3 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 (~605 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clifdale Middle's federal record.
- Compare Clifdale Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Spartanburg 03'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 Clifdale Middle
How many students attend Clifdale Middle?
Clifdale Middle has 605 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Spartanburg, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clifdale Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Clifdale Middle is 12.6:1, which is 12% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 20% 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 Clifdale Middle?
70.8% of students at Clifdale Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Clifdale Middle?
The largest demographic group at Clifdale Middle is White at 65.3% of enrollment, in Spartanburg, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clifdale Middle?
Clifdale Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Clifdale Middle rank among middle schools in Spartanburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Clifdale Middle ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Spartanburg, 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 Spartanburg on the city page.
Is Clifdale Middle a good school?
Clifdale Middle earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Spartanburg 03?
Besides Clifdale Middle, Spartanburg 03 also operates Broome High (865 students), Cowpens Elementary (460 students), and Pacolet Elementary (429 students). See the Spartanburg 03 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.