Enrollment
619
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Winnsboro, SC
Fairfield Central High
Federal NCES profile for Fairfield Central High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450210001392
👥 S:T ratio 58
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairfield Central High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Winnsboro · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.5:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Fairfield Central High has class sizes smaller than 90% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fairfield Central High ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Winnsboro, SC.
School address
District: Fairfield 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450210001392 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
59.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairfield Central High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fairfield Central High
Fairfield Central High is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Winnsboro, South Carolina, enrolling 619 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.5:1, Fairfield Central High is leaner than roughly 90% of South Carolina schools and 27% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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 619 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 342 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #72.
Its student body is predominantly African American (86% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 25/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 206 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 43.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Fairfield 01 spends $22,286 per pupil, 53% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 227 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 619 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Fairfield 01 also operates Fairfield Elementary (418 students) and Fairfield Middle (311 students) alongside Fairfield Central 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 Fairfield Central High compares
Fairfield Central 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 | 10.5:1 | ▼ 27% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 619 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
619
Bigger than 74% 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
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 10% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
43.9%
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
$22,286
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 206 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
42
in-school suspensions + 185 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.7 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 86.3%
White 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Two or More 1.0%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 86.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.7, Fairfield Central High is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfield 01, which includes Fairfield Central High.
$22,286
Per student
+53%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.9%
State 30.4%
Federal 16.7%
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 Fairfield Central High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairfield Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Geiger Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kelly Miller Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fairfield Magnet for Math and Science | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fairfield Central High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 418
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 311
- Students per teacher
- 7.8:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 262
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 199
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 188
- Students per teacher
- 7.8:1
- Resource Index
- 75/100
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 (~619 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairfield Central High's federal record.
- Compare Fairfield Central High against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfield 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 Fairfield Central High
How many students attend Fairfield Central High?
Fairfield Central High has 619 students enrolled. It is a high school in Winnsboro, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairfield Central High?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairfield Central High is 10.5:1, which is 27% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 33% 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 Fairfield Central High?
100.0% of students at Fairfield Central High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairfield Central High?
The largest demographic group at Fairfield Central High is African American at 86.3% of enrollment, in Winnsboro, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairfield Central High?
Fairfield Central High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Fairfield Central High rank among public schools in Winnsboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairfield Central High ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Winnsboro, 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 Winnsboro on the city page.
Is Fairfield Central High a good school?
Fairfield Central High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fairfield 01?
Besides Fairfield Central High, Fairfield 01 also operates Fairfield Elementary (418 students), Fairfield Middle (311 students), and Geiger Elementary (262 students). See the Fairfield 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.