Enrollment
1,827
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 450213000443
West Florence High — Florence, SC
Federal NCES profile for West Florence High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 35/100.
👥 Class size 29
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 27
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Florence 01 · South Carolina
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
102.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Florence High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
West Florence High reports 1,827 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 102.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 24% above the South Carolina state mean of 14.3:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 11% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 63.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 15% below the South Carolina average and 22% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 305 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 29.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Florence 01 spends $16,480 per pupil district-wide, below the South Carolina average of $17,182 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 33.4% from local sources (property taxes), 46.0% from the state, and 20.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How West Florence High compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against South Carolina state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 14.3:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.0% | ▼ 15% | 74.0% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,827 | top 97% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
63.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 15% below 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
17.7:1
students per teacher
— 24% above state mean
Top 90% in South Carolina — lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,480
per pupil, district-wide
— below South Carolina avg of $17,182
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 305 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
245
in-school suspensions + 232 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 29 expulsions.
Overview
Enrollment 1,827 Top 97% in South Carolina — larger than 3% of 1,215 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 102.0
Students per teacher 17.7:1 +24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 63.0% -15% vs state
NCES ID 450213000443
Student demographics
African American 43.9%
White 37.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.6%
Two or More 7.9%
Asian 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 43.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 6.0
Students per counselor 305:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 29.3%
In-school suspensions 245
Out-of-school suspensions 232
Expulsions 29
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Florence 01, which includes West Florence High.
$16,480
Per student
-4%
vs South Carolina
Avg $17,182
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,580
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,373
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,138
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,056
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Enrollment
- 988
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
Similar high schools in Florence
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about West Florence High
How many students attend West Florence High?
West Florence High has 1,827 students enrolled. It is a high school in Florence, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Florence High?
The student-teacher ratio at West Florence High is 17.7:1, which is 24% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Florence High?
63.0% of students at West Florence High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Florence High?
The largest demographic group at West Florence High is African American at 43.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in Florence, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Florence High?
West Florence High has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.