Enrollment
320
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbia, SC
W. a. Perry Middle
Federal NCES profile for W. a. Perry Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 450336000946
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
W. a. Perry Middle earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most South Carolina schools.
- #6 of 11
- middle schools in Columbia · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 9.4:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
W. a. Perry Middle has class sizes smaller than 94% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, W. a. Perry Middle ranks #6 of 11 middle schools in Columbia, SC.
School address
District: Richland 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450336000946 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.4:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How W. a. Perry Middle compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at W. a. Perry Middle
W. a. Perry Middle is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Columbia, South Carolina, enrolling 320 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.4:1, W. a. Perry Middle is leaner than roughly 94% of South Carolina schools and 34% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
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.
Enrollment of 320 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 259 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #177.
Its student body is predominantly African American (90% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 160 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 62.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Richland 01 spends $18,122 per pupil, 24% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 223 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 320 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Columbia's middle schools, it stands alongside Dent Middle (1,059 students): W. a. Perry Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (9.4:1 vs 12.8:1).
Richland 01 also operates A. C. Flora High (1,328 students) and Lower Richland High (1,218 students) alongside W. a. Perry 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 W. a. Perry Middle compares
W. a. Perry 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 | 9.4:1 | ▼ 34% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 320 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.4:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
320
Bigger than 35% 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
9.4:1
students per teacher
- 34% below state mean
Top 6% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
62.8%
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
$18,122
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 160 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
81
in-school suspensions + 142 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 69.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 90.3%
Two or More 5.6%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
White 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.0, W. a. Perry Middle is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Richland 01, which includes W. a. Perry Middle.
$18,122
Per student
+24%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.1%
State 28.3%
Federal 13.6%
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 W. a. Perry Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. C. Flora High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lower Richland High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dreher High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Crayton Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brennen Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to W. a. Perry Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,328
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,218
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,144
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 952
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 805
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in Columbia
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Dent Middle
Standard public school
1,059 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Irmo Middle
Standard public school
992 students 11:1 students per teacher
Crayton Middle
Standard public school
952 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Longleaf Middle
Standard public school
796 students 13.3:1 students per teacher
Hand Middle
Standard public school
755 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
St. Andrews Middle
Standard public school
627 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
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 (~320 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on W. a. Perry Middle's federal record.
- Compare W. a. Perry Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Richland 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 W. a. Perry Middle
How many students attend W. a. Perry Middle?
W. a. Perry Middle has 320 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbia, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at W. a. Perry Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at W. a. Perry Middle is 9.4:1, which is 34% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 40% 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 W. a. Perry Middle?
100.0% of students at W. a. Perry Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of W. a. Perry Middle?
The largest demographic group at W. a. Perry Middle is African American at 90.3% of enrollment, in Columbia, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for W. a. Perry Middle?
W. a. Perry Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 W. a. Perry Middle rank among middle schools in Columbia?
By Resource Investment Index, W. a. Perry Middle ranks #6 of 11 middle schools in Columbia, 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 Columbia on the city page.
Is W. a. Perry Middle a good school?
W. a. Perry Middle earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of South Carolina schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Richland 01?
Besides W. a. Perry Middle, Richland 01 also operates A. C. Flora High (1,328 students), Lower Richland High (1,218 students), and Dreher High (1,144 students). See the Richland 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.