Enrollment
380
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Gaffney, SC
John E. Ewing Middle
Federal NCES profile for John E. Ewing Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450150000284
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 62
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John E. Ewing Middle earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 11
- public schools in Gaffney · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
John E. Ewing Middle has class sizes smaller than 70% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John E. Ewing Middle ranks #3 of 11 public schools in Gaffney, SC.
School address
District: Cherokee 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450150000284 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John E. Ewing Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at John E. Ewing Middle
John E. Ewing Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Gaffney, South Carolina, enrolling 380 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 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 380 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 321 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #132.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (26%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 190 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 86.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 396 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 380 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 43 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Gaffney's middle schools, it stands alongside Gaffney Middle (851 students): John E. Ewing Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 12.7:1).
Cherokee 01 also operates Gaffney High (1,827 students) and Gaffney Middle (851 students) alongside John E. Ewing 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 John E. Ewing Middle compares
John E. Ewing 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 | 12.7:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
380
Bigger than 44% 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
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 30% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
86.6%
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
$14,030
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 190 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
206
in-school suspensions + 190 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 54.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 104.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 43 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
White 60.5%
African American 25.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Two or More 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 60.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.1, John E. Ewing 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 Cherokee 01, which includes John E. Ewing Middle.
$14,030
Per student
-4%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.3%
State 45.1%
Federal 16.6%
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 John E. Ewing Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaffney High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gaffney Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| B. D. Lee Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grassy Pond Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blacksburg High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John E. Ewing Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,827
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 603
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 482
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Gaffney
1 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 (~380 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John E. Ewing Middle's federal record.
- Compare John E. Ewing Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Cherokee 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 John E. Ewing Middle
How many students attend John E. Ewing Middle?
John E. Ewing Middle has 380 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Gaffney, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John E. Ewing Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at John E. Ewing Middle is 12.7:1, which is 11% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 19% 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 John E. Ewing Middle?
100.0% of students at John E. Ewing Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John E. Ewing Middle?
The largest demographic group at John E. Ewing Middle is White at 60.5% of enrollment, in Gaffney, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John E. Ewing Middle?
John E. Ewing Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 John E. Ewing Middle rank among public schools in Gaffney?
By Resource Investment Index, John E. Ewing Middle ranks #3 of 11 public schools in Gaffney, 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 Gaffney on the city page.
Is John E. Ewing Middle a good school?
John E. Ewing Middle earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Cherokee 01?
Besides John E. Ewing Middle, Cherokee 01 also operates Gaffney High (1,827 students), Gaffney Middle (851 students), and B. D. Lee Elementary (603 students). See the Cherokee 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.