Enrollment
749
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Greenville, SC
Sterling School
Federal NCES profile for Sterling School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450231001466
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sterling School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median.
- #1 of 21
- schools in Greenville · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 38.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sterling School has class sizes near the South Carolina median. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling School ranks #1 of 21 schools in Greenville, SC.
School address
District: Greenville 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450231001466 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.3%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sterling School compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sterling School
Sterling School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Greenville, South Carolina, enrolling 749 students.
At 14.4:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Carolina median, within a few percentage points of the 14.3:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 38.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 749 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 133 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #3, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and African American (22%) (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 214 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Greenville's public schools, it stands alongside Cyber Academy of South Carolina (3,280 students): Sterling School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.4:1 vs 19.3:1).
Greenville 01 also operates Woodmont High (2,151 students) and Mauldin High (2,133 students) alongside Sterling School.
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 Sterling School compares
Sterling School 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 | 14.4:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.3% | ▼ 48% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 749 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
749
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 56% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,859
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
Counselors3.5 FTE
Per 214 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
36
in-school suspensions + 38 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 53.1%
African American 22.2%
Asian 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.4%
Two or More 6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 53.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.7, Sterling School is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Greenville 01, which includes Sterling School.
$11,859
Per student
-19%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.3%
State 45.7%
Federal 15.0%
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 Sterling School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodmont High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mauldin High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J. L. Mann High Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sterling School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,151
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 2,133
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 2,013
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,894
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,846
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Greenville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cyber Academy of South Carolina
Standard public school
3,280 students 19.3:1 students per teacher
Legacy Early College
Standard public school
1,592 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Robert E. Cashion Elementary
Standard public school
964 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Greenbrier Elementary
Standard public school
876 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Blythe Academy
Standard public school
866 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Lake Forest Elementary
Standard public school
829 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~749 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sterling School's federal record.
- Compare Sterling School against another school. Compare schools
- Greenville 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 Sterling School
How many students attend Sterling School?
Sterling School has 749 students enrolled. It is a public school in Greenville, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sterling School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sterling School is 14.4:1, which is 1% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sterling School?
38.3% of students at Sterling School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sterling School?
The largest demographic group at Sterling School is White at 53.1% of enrollment, in Greenville, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sterling School?
Sterling School has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (higher 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 Sterling School rank among schools in Greenville?
By Resource Investment Index, Sterling School ranks #1 of 21 schools in Greenville, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Greenville on the city page.
Is Sterling School a good school?
Sterling School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Carolina median. 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 Greenville 01?
Besides Sterling School, Greenville 01 also operates Woodmont High (2,151 students), Mauldin High (2,133 students), and J. L. Mann High Academy (2,013 students). See the Greenville 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.