Enrollment
528
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · West Columbia, SC
Northside Middle
Federal NCES profile for Northside Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450273001271
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northside Middle earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #4 of 4
- middle schools in West Columbia · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- students per teacher
- 84.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Northside Middle has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northside Middle ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in West Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Lexington 02 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450273001271 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.7%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northside Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northside Middle
Northside Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in West Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 528 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 84.7% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 528 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 69 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #63, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (46%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 528 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 337 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 528 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among West Columbia's middle schools, it stands alongside White Knoll Middle (693 students): Northside Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.9:1 vs 10.5:1).
Lexington 02 also operates Airport High (1,272 students) and Brookland-Cayce High (1,212 students) alongside Northside 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 Northside Middle compares
Northside 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.7% | ▲ 14% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 528 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
528
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 33% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.3%
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
$14,320
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 528 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
197
in-school suspensions + 140 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 37.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 63.8 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
Hispanic or Latino 45.5%
African American 24.4%
White 23.5%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 45.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.6, Northside 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 Lexington 02, which includes Northside Middle.
$14,320
Per student
-2%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.1%
State 41.7%
Federal 17.2%
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 Northside Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brookland-Cayce High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverbank Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cayce Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Herbert a. Wood Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northside Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,272
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,212
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 996
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 977
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 938
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in West Columbia
3 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 (~528 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northside Middle's federal record.
- Compare Northside Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lexington 02'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 Northside Middle
How many students attend Northside Middle?
Northside Middle has 528 students enrolled. It is a middle school in West Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northside Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Northside Middle is 12.9:1, which is 10% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 18% 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 Northside Middle?
84.7% of students at Northside Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northside Middle?
The largest demographic group at Northside Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 45.5% of enrollment, in West Columbia, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northside Middle?
Northside Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Northside Middle rank among middle schools in West Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Northside Middle ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in West Columbia, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in West Columbia on the city page.
Is Northside Middle a good school?
Northside Middle earns 34/100 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 Lexington 02?
Besides Northside Middle, Lexington 02 also operates Airport High (1,272 students), Brookland-Cayce High (1,212 students), and Riverbank Elementary (996 students). See the Lexington 02 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.