Enrollment
342
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sumter, SC
Lemira Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lemira Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450390201059
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lemira Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of South Carolina schools.
- #6 of 11
- schools in Sumter · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lemira Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lemira Elementary ranks #6 of 11 schools in Sumter, SC.
School address
District: Sumter 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450390201059 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
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 Lemira Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lemira Elementary
Lemira Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Sumter, South Carolina, enrolling 342 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 342 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 281 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #205, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 29/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 342 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 50.3% 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: 94 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 342 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Sumter's public schools, it stands alongside Pocalla Springs Elementary (609 students): Lemira Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.7:1 vs 16:1).
Sumter 01 also operates Sumter High School (2,122 students) and Crestwood High (1,105 students) alongside Lemira Elementary.
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 Lemira Elementary compares
Lemira Elementary 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 | 342 | top 79% | - | - |
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.
342
Bigger than 38% 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
50.3%
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
$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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 342 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
54
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.5 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
African American 83.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Two or More 3.5%
White 2.6%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 83.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.6, Lemira Elementary is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sumter 01, which includes Lemira Elementary.
$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 Lemira Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crestwood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakewood High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alice Drive Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Furman Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lemira Elementary'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
- 1,013
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Sumter
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Pocalla Springs Elementary
Standard public school
609 students 16:1 students per teacher
Millwood Elementary
Standard public school
602 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Alice Drive Elementary
Standard public school
530 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Oakland Primary
Standard public school
520 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Kingsbury Elementary
Standard public school
514 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Willow Drive Elementary
Standard public school
504 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
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 (~342 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lemira Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lemira Elementary 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 Lemira Elementary
How many students attend Lemira Elementary?
Lemira Elementary has 342 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sumter, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lemira Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lemira Elementary 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 Lemira Elementary?
100.0% of students at Lemira Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lemira Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lemira Elementary is African American at 83.9% of enrollment, in Sumter, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lemira Elementary?
Lemira Elementary 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 Lemira Elementary rank among schools in Sumter?
By Resource Investment Index, Lemira Elementary ranks #6 of 11 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 schools in Sumter on the city page.
Is Lemira Elementary a good school?
Lemira Elementary earns 38/100 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 Sumter 01?
Besides Lemira Elementary, Sumter 01 also operates Sumter High School (2,122 students), Crestwood High (1,105 students), and Lakewood High (1,013 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.