Enrollment
888
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Darlington, SC
Darlington Middle
Federal NCES profile for Darlington Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450186000098
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Darlington Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Darlington · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Darlington Middle has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Darlington Middle ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Darlington, SC.
School address
District: Darlington 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450186000098 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Darlington Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Darlington Middle
Darlington Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Darlington, South Carolina, enrolling 888 students.
At 13.5:1, 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.
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 888 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 191 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #41.
Its student body is led by African American (61%) and White (24%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 296 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.8% 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: 833 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 888 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Darlington 01 also operates Hartsville High (1,129 students) and Darlington High (965 students) alongside Darlington 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 Darlington Middle compares
Darlington 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 888 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
888
Bigger than 89% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 42% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.8%
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
$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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 296 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
508
in-school suspensions + 325 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 57.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 93.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 60.6%
White 23.6%
Two or More 11.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 60.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.3, Darlington 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 Darlington 01, which includes Darlington Middle.
$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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartsville High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Darlington High | 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 Middle'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
- 965
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- 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 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 (~888 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Darlington Middle's federal record.
- Compare Darlington Middle 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 Middle
How many students attend Darlington Middle?
Darlington Middle has 888 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Darlington, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Darlington Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Darlington Middle is 13.5:1, which is 6% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 14% 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 Middle?
100.0% of students at Darlington Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Darlington Middle?
The largest demographic group at Darlington Middle is African American at 60.6% of enrollment, in Darlington, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Darlington Middle?
Darlington Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Darlington Middle rank among public schools in Darlington?
By Resource Investment Index, Darlington Middle 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 Middle a good school?
Darlington Middle earns 46/100 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 Middle, Darlington 01 also operates Hartsville High (1,129 students), Darlington High (965 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.