Enrollment
288
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Bishopville, SC
Lee Central Middle
Federal NCES profile for Lee Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450267001540
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lee Central Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Bishopville · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lee Central Middle has class sizes smaller than 73% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lee Central Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Bishopville, SC.
School address
District: Lee 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450267001540 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lee Central Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lee Central Middle
Lee Central Middle is a high-poverty, small middle school in Bishopville, South Carolina, enrolling 288 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 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 288 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 213 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #168, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (88% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 144 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 64.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 27.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 154 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 288 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 29 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Lee 01 also operates Lee Central High (402 students) and Dennis Elementary (359 students) alongside Lee Central 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 Lee Central Middle compares
Lee Central 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 288 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
288
Bigger than 31% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 27% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
64.9%
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
$17,017
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 144 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 139 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 53.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 29 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 87.5%
White 8.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 87.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.7, Lee Central Middle is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lee 01, which includes Lee Central Middle.
$17,017
Per student
+17%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.8%
State 45.2%
Federal 27.0%
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 Lee Central Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dennis Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lower Lee Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Lee Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lee Central Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 128
- Students per teacher
- 6.7:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 98
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
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 (~288 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lee Central Middle's federal record.
- Compare Lee Central Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lee 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 Lee Central Middle
How many students attend Lee Central Middle?
Lee Central Middle has 288 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Bishopville, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lee Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Lee Central Middle is 12.5:1, which is 13% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 20% 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 Lee Central Middle?
100.0% of students at Lee Central Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lee Central Middle?
The largest demographic group at Lee Central Middle is African American at 87.5% of enrollment, in Bishopville, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lee Central Middle?
Lee Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Lee Central Middle rank among public schools in Bishopville?
By Resource Investment Index, Lee Central Middle ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Bishopville, 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 Bishopville on the city page.
Is Lee Central Middle a good school?
Lee Central Middle earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Lee 01?
Besides Lee Central Middle, Lee 01 also operates Lee Central High (402 students), Dennis Elementary (359 students), and Lower Lee Elementary (128 students). See the Lee 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.