Enrollment
1,434
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Laurens, SC
Laurens District 55 High
Federal NCES profile for Laurens District 55 High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450261000701
👥 S:T ratio 46
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Laurens District 55 High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #4 of 6
- public schools in Laurens · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Laurens District 55 High has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Laurens District 55 High ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Laurens, SC.
School address
District: Laurens 55 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450261000701 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
107.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
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 Laurens District 55 High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Laurens District 55 High
Laurens District 55 High is a high-poverty, large high school in Laurens, South Carolina, enrolling 1,434 students.
At 13.4:1, 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.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Carolina, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,434 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 48 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #23.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and African American (29%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 421 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,434 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Laurens 55 also operates Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle (715 students) and Hickory Tavern Elementary/Middle (623 students) alongside Laurens District 55 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 Laurens District 55 High compares
Laurens District 55 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,434 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,434
Bigger than 96% 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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 41% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
48.3%
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
$13,000
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 287 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
264
in-school suspensions + 157 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 48.6%
African American 28.8%
Hispanic or Latino 19.0%
Two or More 3.1%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 48.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.4, Laurens District 55 High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laurens 55, which includes Laurens District 55 High.
$13,000
Per student
-11%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.9%
State 49.5%
Federal 20.6%
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 Laurens District 55 High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hickory Tavern Elementary/Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Laurens Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| E. B. Morse Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ford Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Laurens District 55 High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 447
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 423
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~1,434 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Laurens District 55 High's federal record.
- Compare Laurens District 55 High against another school. Compare schools
- Laurens 55'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 Laurens District 55 High
How many students attend Laurens District 55 High?
Laurens District 55 High has 1,434 students enrolled. It is a high school in Laurens, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Laurens District 55 High?
The student-teacher ratio at Laurens District 55 High is 13.4:1, which is 6% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 15% 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 Laurens District 55 High?
100.0% of students at Laurens District 55 High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Laurens District 55 High?
The largest demographic group at Laurens District 55 High is White at 48.6% of enrollment, in Laurens, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Laurens District 55 High?
Laurens District 55 High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Laurens District 55 High rank among public schools in Laurens?
By Resource Investment Index, Laurens District 55 High ranks #4 of 6 public schools in Laurens, 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 Laurens on the city page.
Is Laurens District 55 High a good school?
Laurens District 55 High earns 42/100 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 Laurens 55?
Besides Laurens District 55 High, Laurens 55 also operates Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle (715 students), Hickory Tavern Elementary/Middle (623 students), and Laurens Elementary (465 students). See the Laurens 55 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.