Enrollment
566
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pickens, SC
Pickens Middle
Federal NCES profile for Pickens Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450333001293
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pickens Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% of South Carolina schools.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Pickens · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 81.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Pickens Middle has class sizes larger than 77% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pickens Middle ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Pickens, SC.
School address
District: Pickens 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450333001293 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.1%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pickens Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pickens Middle
Pickens Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Pickens, South Carolina, enrolling 566 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 81.1% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 566 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 91 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #87, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 377 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Pickens 01 spends $10,622 per pupil, 27% below the South Carolina average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 190 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 566 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Pickens's middle schools, it stands alongside Youth Leadership Academy (290 students): Pickens Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.2:1 vs 15.3:1).
Pickens 01 also operates Easley High (1,862 students) and Pickens High (1,226 students) alongside Pickens 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 Pickens Middle compares
Pickens 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 13% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.1% | ▲ 10% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 566 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
566
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 77% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 23% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.4%
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
$10,622
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 377 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
84
in-school suspensions + 106 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.6 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
White 80.2%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
African American 4.9%
Two or More 4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 80.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.3, Pickens 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 Pickens 01, which includes Pickens Middle.
$10,622
Per student
-27%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.4%
State 47.7%
Federal 14.9%
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 Pickens Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pickens High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| D. W. Daniel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Richard H. Gettys Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| R. C. Edwards Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pickens Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,862
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,226
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,222
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,217
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar middle schools in Pickens
1 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 (~566 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pickens Middle's federal record.
- Compare Pickens Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Pickens 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 Pickens Middle
How many students attend Pickens Middle?
Pickens Middle has 566 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pickens, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pickens Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Pickens Middle is 16.2:1, which is 13% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pickens Middle?
81.1% of students at Pickens Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pickens Middle?
The largest demographic group at Pickens Middle is White at 80.2% of enrollment, in Pickens, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pickens Middle?
Pickens Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Pickens Middle rank among public schools in Pickens?
By Resource Investment Index, Pickens Middle ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Pickens, 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 Pickens on the city page.
Is Pickens Middle a good school?
Pickens Middle earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 77% 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 Pickens 01?
Besides Pickens Middle, Pickens 01 also operates Easley High (1,862 students), Pickens High (1,226 students), and D. W. Daniel High (1,222 students). See the Pickens 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.