Enrollment
1,013
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sumter, SC
Lakewood High
Federal NCES profile for Lakewood High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450390200223
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lakewood High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Sumter · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 19.1:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lakewood High has class sizes larger than 94% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lakewood High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Sumter, SC.
School address
District: Sumter 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450390200223 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.1:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lakewood High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lakewood High
Lakewood High is a high-poverty, large high school in Sumter, South Carolina, enrolling 1,013 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.1:1 is larger than about 94% of South Carolina schools and 34% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
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 1,013 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 137 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #86.
Its student body is led by African American (59%) and White (30%) (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 253 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 73.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Sumter 01 spends $11,507 per pupil, 21% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 379 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,013 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 17 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Sumter's high schools, it stands alongside Sumter High School (2,122 students): Lakewood High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.1:1 vs 18:1).
Sumter 01 also operates Sumter High School (2,122 students) and Crestwood High (1,105 students) alongside Lakewood 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 Lakewood High compares
Lakewood 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 | 19.1:1 | ▲ 34% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,013 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.1:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,013
Bigger than 91% 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
19.1:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 94% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
73.7%
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
$11,507
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 253 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
210
in-school suspensions + 169 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 37.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 17 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 58.8%
White 29.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Two or More 4.0%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 58.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.0, Lakewood High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sumter 01, which includes Lakewood High.
$11,507
Per student
-21%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.0%
State 53.3%
Federal 19.7%
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 Lakewood High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crestwood High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alice Drive Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Furman Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pocalla Springs Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lakewood High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,122
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,105
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 609
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools in Sumter
2 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 (~1,013 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lakewood High's federal record.
- Compare Lakewood High against another school. Compare schools
- Sumter 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 Lakewood High
How many students attend Lakewood High?
Lakewood High has 1,013 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sumter, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lakewood High?
The student-teacher ratio at Lakewood High is 19.1:1, which is 34% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lakewood High?
100.0% of students at Lakewood High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lakewood High?
The largest demographic group at Lakewood High is African American at 58.8% of enrollment, in Sumter, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lakewood High?
Lakewood High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Lakewood High rank among high schools in Sumter?
By Resource Investment Index, Lakewood High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Sumter, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Sumter on the city page.
Is Lakewood High a good school?
Lakewood High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Sumter 01?
Besides Lakewood High, Sumter 01 also operates Sumter High School (2,122 students), Crestwood High (1,105 students), and Alice Drive Middle (783 students). See the Sumter 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.