Enrollment
749
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Williamston, SC
Palmetto Middle
Federal NCES profile for Palmetto Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450078000074
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Palmetto Middle earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Williamston · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 63.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Palmetto Middle has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Williamston, SC.
School address
District: Anderson 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450078000074 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.2%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Palmetto Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Palmetto Middle
Palmetto Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Williamston, South Carolina, enrolling 749 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 63.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 749 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 176 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #23.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 250 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Anderson 01 spends $10,372 per pupil, 29% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 210 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 749 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Anderson 01 also operates Wren High (1,252 students) and Palmetto High (1,086 students) alongside Palmetto 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 Palmetto Middle compares
Palmetto 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 8% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.2% | ▼ 15% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 749 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
749
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% below 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 36% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 64% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.2%
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
$10,372
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 250 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
113
in-school suspensions + 97 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 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 70.5%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
African American 7.5%
Two or More 5.5%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.9, Palmetto Middle is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Anderson 01, which includes Palmetto Middle.
$10,372
Per student
-29%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.0%
State 49.8%
Federal 13.2%
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 Palmetto Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wren High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Palmetto High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Powdersville High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wren Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spearman Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Palmetto Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,252
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,086
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 910
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 804
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~749 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Palmetto Middle's federal record.
- Compare Palmetto Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Anderson 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 Palmetto Middle
How many students attend Palmetto Middle?
Palmetto Middle has 749 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Williamston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Palmetto Middle is 13.1:1, which is 8% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 17% 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 Palmetto Middle?
63.2% of students at Palmetto Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Palmetto Middle?
The largest demographic group at Palmetto Middle is White at 70.5% of enrollment, in Williamston, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Palmetto Middle?
Palmetto Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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 Palmetto Middle rank among public schools in Williamston?
By Resource Investment Index, Palmetto Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Williamston, 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 Williamston on the city page.
Is Palmetto Middle a good school?
Palmetto Middle earns 52/100 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 Anderson 01?
Besides Palmetto Middle, Anderson 01 also operates Wren High (1,252 students), Palmetto High (1,086 students), and Powdersville High (1,024 students). See the Anderson 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.