Enrollment
1,138
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Florence, SC
Southside Middle
Federal NCES profile for Southside 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 450213001332
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 4
- middle schools in Florence · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside Middle has class sizes larger than 74% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Middle ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Florence, SC.
School address
District: Florence 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450213001332 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
72.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside Middle
Southside Middle is a high-poverty, large middle school in Florence, South Carolina, enrolling 1,138 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 100.0% 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 91% of state schools at 1,138 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 94 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and White (32%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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: 376 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,138 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 9 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Florence's middle schools, it stands alongside John W. Moore Middle (1,056 students): Southside Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 16.5:1).
Florence 01 also operates West Florence High (1,827 students) and South Florence High (1,580 students) alongside Southside 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 Southside Middle compares
Southside 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,138 | top 9% | - | - |
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.
1,138
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
15.8:1
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
18.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
216
in-school suspensions + 160 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 9 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 51.3%
White 32.1%
Two or More 8.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 51.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.2, Southside 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 Florence 01, which includes Southside Middle.
$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 Southside Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Florence High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Florence High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wilson High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| John W. Moore Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Delmae Heights Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southside Middle'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
- 1,580
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- 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 middle schools in Florence
3 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 (~1,138 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside Middle's federal record.
- Compare Southside Middle 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 Southside Middle
How many students attend Southside Middle?
Southside Middle has 1,138 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Florence, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside Middle 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 Southside Middle?
100.0% of students at Southside Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside Middle?
The largest demographic group at Southside Middle is African American at 51.3% of enrollment, in Florence, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside Middle?
Southside 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 Southside Middle rank among middle schools in Florence?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Middle ranks #1 of 4 middle 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 middle schools in Florence on the city page.
Is Southside Middle a good school?
Southside Middle earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Florence 01?
Besides Southside Middle, Florence 01 also operates West Florence High (1,827 students), South Florence High (1,580 students), and Wilson High (1,373 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.