Enrollment
439
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lancaster, SC
South Middle
Federal NCES profile for South Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450258001263
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Lancaster · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.2:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
South Middle has class sizes smaller than 77% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Lancaster, SC.
School address
District: Lancaster 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450258001263 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Middle
South Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Lancaster, South Carolina, enrolling 439 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.2:1 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 439 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 354 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #77.
Its student body is led by African American (50%) and White (23%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 146 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 371 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 439 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 Lancaster's middle schools, it stands alongside A. R. Rucker Middle (477 students): South Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.2:1 vs 13.6:1).
Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students) and Lancaster High (1,390 students) alongside South 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 South Middle compares
South 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 439 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
439
Bigger than 53% 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 23% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
46.0%
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
$11,853
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 146 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
200
in-school suspensions + 171 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 45.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 84.5 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 50.0%
White 22.6%
Hispanic or Latino 22.6%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: African American at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.6, South 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 Lancaster 01, which includes South Middle.
$11,853
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.3%
State 46.8%
Federal 16.9%
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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Land High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lancaster High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Intermediate | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harrisburg Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Land Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,905
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,390
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,181
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,102
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar middle schools in Lancaster
2 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 (~439 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Middle's federal record.
- Compare South Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Lancaster 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 Middle
How many students attend South Middle?
South Middle has 439 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lancaster, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at South Middle is 12.2:1, which is 15% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 22% 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 South Middle?
100.0% of students at South Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Middle?
The largest demographic group at South Middle is African American at 50.0% of enrollment, in Lancaster, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Middle?
South Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 South Middle rank among middle schools in Lancaster?
By Resource Investment Index, South Middle ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Lancaster, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Lancaster on the city page.
Is South Middle a good school?
South Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Lancaster 01?
Besides South Middle, Lancaster 01 also operates Indian Land High (1,905 students), Lancaster High (1,390 students), and Indian Land Intermediate (1,181 students). See the Lancaster 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.