Enrollment
1,580
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Florence, SC
South Florence High
Federal NCES profile for South Florence High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450213000440
👥 S:T ratio 37
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Florence High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Carolina.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Florence · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 74.3%
- free-lunch eligible
South Florence High has class sizes larger than 74% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Florence High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Florence, SC.
School address
District: Florence 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450213000440 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
100.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.3%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Florence High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Florence High
South Florence High is a higher-need, large high school in Florence, South Carolina, enrolling 1,580 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 74.3% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Carolina, bigger than 95% of state schools at 1,580 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 37 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #14.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and White (36%) (diversity index 61/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.8% 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: 423 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,580 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 39 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Florence's high schools, it stands alongside West Florence High (1,827 students): South Florence High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 17.9:1).
Florence 01 also operates West Florence High (1,827 students) and Wilson High (1,373 students) alongside South Florence High.
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 South Florence High compares
South Florence High 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.3% | ▲ 0% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,580 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,580
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 74% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
37.8%
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
$13,158
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
236
in-school suspensions + 187 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 39 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 49.7%
White 36.0%
Two or More 7.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 49.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.4, South Florence High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Florence 01, which includes South Florence High.
$13,158
Per student
-10%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.4%
State 46.0%
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 South Florence High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Florence High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilson High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southside Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John W. Moore Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Delmae Heights Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Florence High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,827
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,138
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,056
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 988
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Florence
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,580 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Florence High's federal record.
- Compare South Florence High against another school. Compare schools
- Florence 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 South Florence High
How many students attend South Florence High?
South Florence High has 1,580 students enrolled. It is a high school in Florence, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Florence High?
The student-teacher ratio at South Florence High is 15.8:1, which is 10% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Florence High?
74.3% of students at South Florence High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Florence High?
The largest demographic group at South Florence High is African American at 49.7% of enrollment, in Florence, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Florence High?
South Florence High has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Florence High rank among high schools in Florence?
By Resource Investment Index, South Florence High ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Florence, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Florence on the city page.
Is South Florence High a good school?
South Florence High earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Carolina. 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 Florence 01?
Besides South Florence High, Florence 01 also operates West Florence High (1,827 students), Wilson High (1,373 students), and Southside Middle (1,138 students). See the Florence 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.