Enrollment
606
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Union, SC
Sims Middle
Federal NCES profile for Sims Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450375001089
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sims Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of South Carolina schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Union · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sims Middle has class sizes smaller than 84% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sims Middle ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Union, SC.
School address
District: Union 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450375001089 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sims Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sims Middle
Sims Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Union, South Carolina, enrolling 606 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.4:1 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.
With 606 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 349 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #166.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and African American (38%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 303 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 422 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 606 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 43 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Union 01 also operates Union County High (1,024 students) and Jonesville Elementary Middle (557 students) alongside Sims 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 Sims Middle compares
Sims 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 606 | top 43% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
606
Bigger than 73% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 16% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.4%
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
$11,834
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 303 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
173
in-school suspensions + 249 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 28.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 69.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 43 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 46.4%
African American 38.0%
Two or More 10.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 46.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.7, Sims 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 Union 01, which includes Sims Middle.
$11,834
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.7%
State 53.3%
Federal 24.0%
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 Sims Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union County High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jonesville Elementary Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buffalo Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Monarch Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Foster Park Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sims Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 557
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 483
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~606 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sims Middle's federal record.
- Compare Sims Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Union 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 Sims Middle
How many students attend Sims Middle?
Sims Middle has 606 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Union, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sims Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Sims Middle is 11.4:1, which is 20% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 27% 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 Sims Middle?
100.0% of students at Sims Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sims Middle?
The largest demographic group at Sims Middle is White at 46.4% of enrollment, in Union, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sims Middle?
Sims Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Sims Middle rank among public schools in Union?
By Resource Investment Index, Sims Middle ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Union, 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 Union on the city page.
Is Sims Middle a good school?
Sims Middle earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Union 01?
Besides Sims Middle, Union 01 also operates Union County High (1,024 students), Jonesville Elementary Middle (557 students), and Buffalo Elementary (483 students). See the Union 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.