Enrollment
250
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Laurens, SC
Sanders Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sanders Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450261000699
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sanders Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Laurens · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.9:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sanders Middle has class sizes smaller than 95% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sanders Middle ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Laurens, SC.
School address
District: Laurens 55 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450261000699 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.9:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sanders Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sanders Middle
Sanders Middle is a high-poverty, small middle school in Laurens, South Carolina, enrolling 250 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.9:1, Sanders Middle is leaner than roughly 95% of South Carolina schools and 38% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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 250 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 153 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #90.
Its student body is led by African American (46%) and White (34%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 250 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 196 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 250 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Laurens's middle schools, it stands alongside Laurens Middle (373 students): Sanders Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.9:1 vs 11.7:1).
Laurens 55 also operates Laurens District 55 High (1,434 students) and Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle (715 students) alongside Sanders 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 Sanders Middle compares
Sanders 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 | 8.9:1 | ▼ 38% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 250 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.9:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
250
Bigger than 25% 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
8.9:1
students per teacher
- 38% below state mean
Top 5% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.4%
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
$13,000
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 250 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
98
in-school suspensions + 98 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 39.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 78.4 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
African American 45.6%
White 34.0%
Hispanic or Latino 16.0%
Two or More 4.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 45.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.9, Sanders 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 Laurens 55, which includes Sanders Middle.
$13,000
Per student
-11%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.9%
State 49.5%
Federal 20.6%
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 Sanders Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurens District 55 High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hickory Tavern Elementary/Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Laurens Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| E. B. Morse Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sanders Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 465
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 447
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle schools in Laurens
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 (~250 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sanders Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sanders Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Laurens 55'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 Sanders Middle
How many students attend Sanders Middle?
Sanders Middle has 250 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Laurens, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sanders Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sanders Middle is 8.9:1, which is 38% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 43% 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 Sanders Middle?
100.0% of students at Sanders Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sanders Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sanders Middle is African American at 45.6% of enrollment, in Laurens, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sanders Middle?
Sanders Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Sanders Middle rank among public schools in Laurens?
By Resource Investment Index, Sanders Middle ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Laurens, 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 Laurens on the city page.
Is Sanders Middle a good school?
Sanders Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% 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 Laurens 55?
Besides Sanders Middle, Laurens 55 also operates Laurens District 55 High (1,434 students), Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle (715 students), and Hickory Tavern Elementary/Middle (623 students). See the Laurens 55 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.