Enrollment
385
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lake City, SC
J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet
Federal NCES profile for J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450219001709
👥 S:T ratio 60
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Lake City · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.1:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet has class sizes smaller than 91% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Lake City, SC.
School address
District: Florence 03 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450219001709 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.1:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet
J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lake City, South Carolina, enrolling 385 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.1:1, J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet is leaner than roughly 91% of South Carolina schools and 29% 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.
Enrollment of 385 puts it in the smaller 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 325 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #78.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and African American (42%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 30.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 89 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 385 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lake City's public schools, it stands alongside Lake City Early Childhood Center (357 students): J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.1:1 vs 14.3:1).
Florence 03 also operates Lake City High (492 students) and Scranton Elementary (389 students) alongside J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet.
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 J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet compares
J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet 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 | 10.1:1 | ▼ 29% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 385 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.1:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
385
Bigger than 45% 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
10.1:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 9% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
35.3%
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
$14,580
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 81 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.1 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 48.3%
African American 41.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Two or More 3.4%
Largest group: White at 48.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.7, J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Florence 03, which includes J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet.
$14,580
Per student
+0%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.8%
State 49.8%
Federal 30.4%
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 J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake City High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Scranton Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake City Early Childhood Center | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J. C. Lynch Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Main Street Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 389
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 353
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 318
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Lake City
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~385 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet's federal record.
- Compare J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet against another school. Compare schools
- Florence 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 J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet
How many students attend J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet?
J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet has 385 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lake City, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet?
The student-teacher ratio at J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet is 10.1:1, which is 29% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 36% 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 J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet?
100.0% of students at J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet?
The largest demographic group at J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet is White at 48.3% of enrollment, in Lake City, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet?
J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet rank among public schools in Lake City?
By Resource Investment Index, J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Lake City, 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 Lake City on the city page.
Is J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet a good school?
J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Florence 03?
Besides J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet, Florence 03 also operates Lake City High (492 students), Scranton Elementary (389 students), and Lake City Early Childhood Center (357 students). See the Florence 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.