Enrollment
965
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Darlington, SC
Darlington High
Federal NCES profile for Darlington High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450186000095
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 15
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Darlington High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Darlington · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Darlington High has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Darlington High ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Darlington, SC.
School address
District: Darlington 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450186000095 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
73.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Darlington High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Darlington High
Darlington High is a high-poverty, large high school in Darlington, South Carolina, enrolling 965 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 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.
Enrollment of 965 puts it in the larger 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 153 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #31.
Its student body is led by African American (64%) and White (20%) (diversity index 54/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 241 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 576 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 965 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Darlington's high schools, it stands alongside Mayo High for Math Science & Technology (309 students): Darlington High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 13.4:1).
Darlington 01 also operates Hartsville High (1,129 students) and Darlington Middle (888 students) alongside Darlington High.
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 Darlington High compares
Darlington High 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 965 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
965
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 37% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.1%
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
$16,032
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 241 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
382
in-school suspensions + 194 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 39.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 59.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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
African American 63.5%
White 19.6%
Two or More 11.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 63.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.3, Darlington High is about as mixed as the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Darlington 01, which includes Darlington High.
$16,032
Per student
+10%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.6%
State 40.1%
Federal 21.4%
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 Darlington High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartsville High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Darlington Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hartsville Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| St. John's Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bay Road Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Darlington High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,129
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 888
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar high schools in Darlington
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~965 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Darlington High's federal record.
- Compare Darlington High against another school. Compare schools
- Darlington 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 Darlington High
How many students attend Darlington High?
Darlington High has 965 students enrolled. It is a high school in Darlington, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Darlington High?
The student-teacher ratio at Darlington High is 13.2:1, which is 8% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 16% 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 Darlington High?
100.0% of students at Darlington High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Darlington High?
The largest demographic group at Darlington High is African American at 63.5% of enrollment, in Darlington, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Darlington High?
Darlington High has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Darlington High rank among public schools in Darlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Darlington High ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Darlington, 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 Darlington on the city page.
Is Darlington High a good school?
Darlington High earns 39/100 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 Darlington 01?
Besides Darlington High, Darlington 01 also operates Hartsville High (1,129 students), Darlington Middle (888 students), and Hartsville Middle (801 students). See the Darlington 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.