Enrollment
453
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pendleton, SC
Riverside Middle
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450087001326
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside Middle earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Pendleton · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 57.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside Middle has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Pendleton, SC.
School address
District: Anderson 04 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450087001326 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.3%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside Middle
Riverside Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Pendleton, South Carolina, enrolling 453 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 57.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 453 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 95% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 97 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 227 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Discipline events run high: 99 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 453 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Anderson 04 also operates Pendleton High (924 students) and Pendleton Elementary (547 students) alongside Riverside 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 Riverside Middle compares
Riverside 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.3% | ▼ 23% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 453 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
453
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 53% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,117
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 227 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
71
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 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 73.1%
African American 13.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.8, Riverside 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 04, which includes Riverside Middle.
$14,117
Per student
-3%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.0%
State 40.9%
Federal 13.1%
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 Riverside Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pendleton Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mt. Lebanon Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| La France Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Townville Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 924
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 459
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 243
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
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 (~453 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside Middle's federal record.
- Compare Riverside Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Anderson 04'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 Riverside Middle
How many students attend Riverside Middle?
Riverside Middle has 453 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pendleton, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside Middle is 14.2:1, which is 1% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 10% 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 Riverside Middle?
57.3% of students at Riverside Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Middle?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Middle is White at 73.1% of enrollment, in Pendleton, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Middle?
Riverside Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 Riverside Middle rank among public schools in Pendleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Middle ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Pendleton, 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 Pendleton on the city page.
Is Riverside Middle a good school?
Riverside Middle earns 61/100 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 04?
Besides Riverside Middle, Anderson 04 also operates Pendleton High (924 students), Pendleton Elementary (547 students), and Mt. Lebanon Elementary (459 students). See the Anderson 04 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.