Enrollment
396
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Orangeburg, SC
Robert E. Howard Middle
Federal NCES profile for Robert E. Howard Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450391001291
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 10
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Robert E. Howard Middle earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #5 of 12
- public schools in Orangeburg · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Robert E. Howard Middle has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Robert E. Howard Middle ranks #5 of 12 public schools in Orangeburg, SC.
School address
District: Orangeburg · South Carolina
NCES ID 450391001291 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Robert E. Howard Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Robert E. Howard Middle
Robert E. Howard Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Orangeburg, South Carolina, enrolling 396 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger 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 396 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 337 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #139.
Its student body is predominantly African American (89% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 198 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 216 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 396 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Orangeburg's middle schools, it stands alongside William J. Clark Middle (587 students): Robert E. Howard Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 14.7:1).
Orangeburg also operates Orangeburg Wilkinson High (992 students) and Lake Marion High School (692 students) alongside Robert E. Howard 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 Robert E. Howard Middle compares
Robert E. Howard 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 396 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
396
Bigger than 47% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 66% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.1%
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
$15,232
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 198 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
93
in-school suspensions + 123 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 54.5 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
African American 88.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
Two or More 4.0%
White 1.8%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 88.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.0, Robert E. Howard 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 Orangeburg, which includes Robert E. Howard Middle.
$15,232
Per student
+5%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.7%
State 46.7%
Federal 19.6%
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 Robert E. Howard Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg Wilkinson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Marion High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edisto Primary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Marshall Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edisto High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Robert E. Howard Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 692
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 625
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 614
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar middle schools in Orangeburg
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 (~396 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Robert E. Howard Middle's federal record.
- Compare Robert E. Howard Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Orangeburg'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 Robert E. Howard Middle
How many students attend Robert E. Howard Middle?
Robert E. Howard Middle has 396 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Orangeburg, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert E. Howard Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Robert E. Howard Middle is 15.2:1, which is 6% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Robert E. Howard Middle?
100.0% of students at Robert E. Howard Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Robert E. Howard Middle?
The largest demographic group at Robert E. Howard Middle is African American at 88.6% of enrollment, in Orangeburg, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Robert E. Howard Middle?
Robert E. Howard Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Robert E. Howard Middle rank among public schools in Orangeburg?
By Resource Investment Index, Robert E. Howard Middle ranks #5 of 12 public schools in Orangeburg, 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 Orangeburg on the city page.
Is Robert E. Howard Middle a good school?
Robert E. Howard Middle earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Orangeburg?
Besides Robert E. Howard Middle, Orangeburg also operates Orangeburg Wilkinson High (992 students), Lake Marion High School (692 students), and Edisto Primary (635 students). See the Orangeburg 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.