Enrollment
379
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · West Columbia, SC
Pine Ridge Middle
Federal NCES profile for Pine Ridge Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450273001272
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pine Ridge Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 4
- middle schools in West Columbia · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Pine Ridge Middle has class sizes smaller than 71% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pine Ridge Middle ranks #3 of 4 middle schools in West Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Lexington 02 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450273001272 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pine Ridge Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pine Ridge Middle
Pine Ridge Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in West Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 379 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 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 379 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 321 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #250, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (37%) and White (30%) (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.2% 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: 203 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 379 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among West Columbia's middle schools, it stands alongside White Knoll Middle (693 students): Pine Ridge Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.6:1 vs 10.5:1).
Lexington 02 also operates Airport High (1,272 students) and Brookland-Cayce High (1,212 students) alongside Pine Ridge 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 Pine Ridge Middle compares
Pine Ridge 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 379 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
379
Bigger than 44% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 29% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
41.2%
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
$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 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
103
in-school suspensions + 100 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 27.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 53.6 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
African American 36.7%
White 29.8%
Hispanic or Latino 28.5%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 36.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.4, Pine Ridge 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 Pine Ridge 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 Pine Ridge Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brookland-Cayce High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverbank Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cayce Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Herbert a. Wood Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pine Ridge 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 (~379 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pine Ridge Middle's federal record.
- Compare Pine Ridge 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 Pine Ridge Middle
How many students attend Pine Ridge Middle?
Pine Ridge Middle has 379 students enrolled. It is a middle school in West Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pine Ridge Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Pine Ridge Middle is 12.6:1, which is 12% 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 Pine Ridge Middle?
100.0% of students at Pine Ridge Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pine Ridge Middle?
The largest demographic group at Pine Ridge Middle is African American at 36.7% of enrollment, in West Columbia, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pine Ridge Middle?
Pine Ridge Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Pine Ridge Middle rank among middle schools in West Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, Pine Ridge Middle ranks #3 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 Pine Ridge Middle a good school?
Pine Ridge Middle earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Lexington 02?
Besides Pine Ridge 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.