Is Furman Middle a good school?

Furman Middle ranks in the bottom 20.3% of South Carolina middle schools.

How many students attend Furman Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 669 students attended Furman Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Furman Middle?

Students at Furman Middle are 58% African American, 31% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Furman Middle attend?

Students who attend Furman Middle usually go on to attend Lakewood High

Furman Middle

Summary:

Furman Middle is a public middle school in Sumter, South Carolina, serving 729 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Sumter 01 District, which is ranked 69 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Furman Middle consistently ranks in the bottom quarter of South Carolina middle schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger indicating below-average performance. The school's test scores are significantly lower than state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with only 36% of 6th graders, 29.7% of 7th graders, and 39.4% of 8th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to state averages of 53.7%, 50.2%, and 50.3%, respectively. Furman Middle's math proficiency rates are even lower, ranging from 12.3% to 20.8% across the grades, compared to state averages of 30.2% to 38.4%. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as African American students, White students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

Furman Middle's academic performance is significantly lower than that of nearby middle schools in the Sumter 01 District, such as Hillcrest Middle, Ebenezer Middle, and Alice Drive Middle, which generally have higher test scores, better rankings, and stronger performance across student subgroups. The combination of low test scores, high poverty, and high student-teacher ratio at Furman Middle may indicate that the school faces significant resource and staffing challenges that contribute to its academic struggles.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3400 Bethel Church Road
Sumter, SC 29154

(803) 481-8519

District: Sumter 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
259^th of 325 South Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,306

Students who attend Furman Middle usually attend:

High:

Lakewood High

Feeder schools for Furman Middle:

Elementary:	Manchester Elementary
	Pocalla Springs Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 19.1

Number of students: 669

Racial breakdown:

African American:

57.8%

White:

31.4%

Two or more races:

5.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare Furman Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Furman Middle ranks worse than 79.7% of middle schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked middle schools in the Sumter 01 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.66. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (57.8%), White (31.4%), two or more races (5.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Sumter 01 School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Furman Middle is 19.1. 4 middle schools in the Sumter 01 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Furman Middle employs 35 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Furman Middle is $10,306. 4 middle schools in the Sumter 01 School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Furman Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Furman Middle 259^th of 325 South Carolina public middle schools. (See Furman Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Sumter 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Sumter 01 69^th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Furman Middle?

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Rank History for Furman Middle

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Rank History for all students at Furman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2014	16.97	255^th	291	12.4%
2015	14.30	277^th	301	8.0%
2016	9.19	291^st	303	4.0%
2017	13.22	290^th	317	8.5%
2018	13.40	274^th	303	9.6%
2019	12.51	285^th	315	9.5%
2021	15.21	269^th	311	13.5%
2022	22.55	234^th	310	24.5%
2023	20.44	260^th	325	20.0%
2024	20.66	259^th	325	20.3%

See the entire list of South Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Furman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	18.16	247^th	280	11.8%
2019	14.85	268^th	289	7.3%
2021	16.14	258^th	288	10.4%
2022	29.02	217^th	300	27.7%
2023	24.94	249^th	313	20.4%
2024	23.91	250^th	307	18.6%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Furman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	11.92	255^th	281	9.3%
2019	12.48	268^th	296	9.5%
2021	10.72	262^nd	279	6.1%
2022	17.31	243^rd	290	16.2%
2023	20.08	237^th	299	20.7%
2024	19.25	244^th	294	17.0%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Furman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	27.59	153^rd	194	21.1%
2019	28.50	155^th	195	20.5%
2021	22.80	148^th	164	9.8%
2022	27.42	142^nd	183	22.4%
2023	34.91	120^th	187	35.8%
2024	39.99	101^st	177	42.9%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Furman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	9.03	173^rd	182	4.9%
2023	2.53	182^nd	185	1.6%
2024	28.94	158^th	183	13.7%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Furman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	15.37	250^th	284	12.0%
2019	13.06	270^th	296	8.8%
2021	19.76	225^th	279	19.4%
2022	28.06	208^th	292	28.8%
2023	20.82	240^th	303	20.8%
2024	21.74	232^nd	294	21.1%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Furman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	19.58	216^th	237	8.9%
2019	20.44	227^th	252	9.9%
2021	20.31	215^th	235	8.5%
2022	32.93	178^th	249	28.5%
2023	24.29	213^th	253	15.8%
2024	24.28	209^th	248	15.7%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Furman Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	6.83	243^rd	250	2.8%
2019	6.81	247^th	258	4.3%
2021	9.97	228^th	244	6.6%
2022	11.82	228^th	249	8.4%
2023	17.56	222^nd	260	14.6%
2024	15.70	226^th	255	11.4%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: South Carolina Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: South Carolina State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Furman Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	425	450	1	25	2	0	36	939
2013	419	449	2	31	3	1	29	934
2014	377	416	2	36	3	0	24	858
2015	325	390	3	37	2	0	18	775
2016	326	397	4	39	2	1	21	790
2017	315	384	5	37	2	2	18	763
2018	300	391	1	38	2	3	17	752
2019	307	426	1	39	1	3	21	798
2020	296	442	0	42	1	2	23	806
2021	285	490	3	41	1	4	27	851
2022	291	417	2	27	1	5	23	766
2023	242	411	5	31	1	5	34	729
2024	210	387	7	27	1	3	34	669

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Furman Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	939	49.0	19.1	80.9
2013	934	56.0	16.6	84.4
2014	858	49.0	17.5	86
2015	775	54.0	14.3	100
2016	790	48.0	16.4	100
2017	763	49.0	15.5	100
2018	752	44.0	17.0	100
2019	798	45.0	17.7	100
2020	806	45.0	17.9	100
2021	851	43.0	19.7	100
2022	766	42.0	18.2	100
2023	729	34.5	21.1	100
2024	669	35.0	19.1	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Furman Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	939	49.0	19.1	80.9
2013	934	56.0	16.6	84.4
2014	858	49.0	17.5	86
2015	775	54.0	14.3	100
2016	790	48.0	16.4	100
2017	763	49.0	15.5	100
2018	752	44.0	17.0	100
2019	798	45.0	17.7	100
2020	806	45.0	17.9	100
2021	851	43.0	19.7	100
2022	766	42.0	18.2	100
2023	729	34.5	21.1	100
2024	669	35.0	19.1	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Furman Middle

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$492 (5.7%)	$334 (3.9%)	$826 (9.6%)	$6,816 (79.1%)	$976 (11.3%)	$7,792 (90.4%)	$8,617
2020	$585 (6.7%)	$481 (5.5%)	$1,066 (12.2%)	$6,724 (76.8%)	$968 (11.1%)	$7,692 (87.8%)	$8,758
2021	$639 (7.3%)	$312 (3.6%)	$950 (10.9%)	$6,930 (79.4%)	$852 (9.8%)	$7,782 (89.1%)	$8,732
2022	$774 (8.6%)	$423 (4.7%)	$1,197 (13.3%)	$6,897 (76.5%)	$921 (10.2%)	$7,818 (86.7%)	$9,015
2023	$777 (7.5%)	$691 (6.7%)	$1,467 (14.2%)	$7,486 (72.6%)	$1,353 (13.1%)	$8,839 (85.8%)	$10,306

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Furman Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 285^th of 315 Middle schools	Ranks 260^th of 325 Middle schools	10.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Science (Furman Middle)	30.3	25.3	5%
6th Grade Science (Sumter 01)	36.8	29.6	7.2%
6th Grade Science (South Carolina)	47.1	43	4.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Furman Middle)	16.3	22.3	6%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Sumter 01)	26.2	32.4	6.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	41.1	53.4	12.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Furman Middle)	17.7	8.3	9.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Sumter 01)	25.4	14.5	10.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	43.9	36.7	7.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Furman Middle)	16.1	42.2	26.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Sumter 01)	30	33.8	3.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	44	50.1	6.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Furman Middle)	11.6	12.4	0.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (Sumter 01)	20.5	13.6	6.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	35.3	31	4.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Furman Middle)	25.6	40.3	14.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Sumter 01)	31.5	40	8.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	44.5	53.1	8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Furman Middle)	19.6	16.5	3.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Sumter 01)	22.4	17.6	4.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	36.6	31.6	5%
End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (Furman Middle)	87.8	82.9	4.9%
End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (Sumter 01)	48.8	37.9	10.9%
End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (South Carolina)	68.6	68.3	0.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	798	729	8.6%
African American	426	411	3.5%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	1	5	400%
Hispanic	39	31	20.5%
Pacific Islander	3	5	66.7%
White	307	242	21.2%
Two or More Races	21	34	61.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Furman Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SC READY English Language Arts (2024)					SC READY Mathematics (2024)					EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Furman Middle	Public	6-8	3400 Bethel Church Road	Sumter	29154	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 481-8519	669	35	19.1	100.0%	210 (31.4%)	387 (57.8%)	27 (4.0%)	7 (1.0%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	34 (5.1%)	20.7	259^th of 325 public middle schools	20.3%		20.4	260^th of 325 public middle schools	20.0%	1			36.0	29.7	39.4			15.2	12.3	20.8	92.6	$10,306	$777	$691	$1,467	$7,486	$1,353	$8,839
Bates Middle	Public	6-8	715 Estate Street	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 775-0711	525	38	13.8	100.0%	121 (23.0%)	351 (66.9%)	21 (4.0%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	22 (4.2%)	9.5	313^th of 325 public middle schools	3.7%		17.4	269^th of 325 public middle schools	17.2%	44			23.1	24.4	31.1			7.8	9.1	8.8	81.6	$10,668	$1,193	$725	$1,918	$7,630	$1,120	$8,750
Alice Drive Middle	Public	6-8	40 Miller Road	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 775-0821	778	47	16.5	100.0%	238 (30.6%)	448 (57.6%)	38 (4.9%)	27 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.5%)	38.4	190^th of 325 public middle schools	41.5%		43	178^th of 325 public middle schools	45.2%	12			44.3	47.4	40.0			29.3	27.8	22.4	100.0	$9,226	$715	$633	$1,348	$7,074	$804	$7,878
Chestnut Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	1200 Oswego Road	Sumter	29153	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 775-7272	357	22	16.2	100.0%	14 (3.9%)	306 (85.7%)	26 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (2.8%)	6.6	323^rd of 325 public middle schools	0.6%		6.4	320^th of 325 public middle schools	1.5%	3			25.9	24.7	25.0			7.7	1.0	2.9	75.0	$10,421	$1,350	$939	$2,289	$6,684	$1,448	$8,132
Manning Junior High	Public	7-8	1101 W.L. Hamilton Road	Manning	29102	Clarendon County	Clarendon 06	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 435-8195	352	23	15.3	100.0%	93 (26.4%)	229 (65.1%)	19 (5.4%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	36.7	198^th of 325 public middle schools	39.1%		34.6	213^th of 325 public middle schools	34.5%	15				43.9	47.3				26.4	12.2
Manning Elementary	Public	4-6	311 West Boyce Street	Manning	29102	Clarendon County	Clarendon 06	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 435-5066	485	26	18.6	100.0%	119 (24.5%)	314 (64.7%)	35 (7.2%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)								(n/a)	40.8	36.4	51.8			34.5	25.1	32.6
Ebenezer Middle	Public	6-8	3440 Ebenezer Road	Sumter	29153	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 469-8571	349	18	19.3	100.0%	46 (13.2%)	278 (79.7%)	14 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (2.6%)	14.3	288^th of 325 public middle schools	11.4%		16.3	274^th of 325 public middle schools	15.7%	14			37.0	23.7	32.8			17.7	7.3	9.6		$10,473	$925	$756	$1,681	$7,543	$1,250	$8,793
Scott's Branch Middle	Public	6-8	9253 Alex Harvin Highway	Summerton	29148	Clarendon County	Clarendon 06	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 574-2100	143	9	16.1	100.0%	7 (4.9%)	125 (87.4%)	6 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.5%)	21.6	255^th of 325 public middle schools	21.5%		31.5	224^th of 325 public middle schools	31.1%	31			34.9	41.1	25.6			25.6	19.6	7.0
Hillcrest Middle	Public	6-8	4355 Peach Orchard Road	Dalzell	29040	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 499-3341	391	24	16.6	100.0%	124 (31.7%)	213 (54.5%)	24 (6.1%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.4%)	28.7	233^rd of 325 public middle schools	28.3%		33.2	216^th of 325 public middle schools	33.5%	17			43.7	38.8	35.1			25.4	23.1	17.1	100.0	$12,837	$1,419	$899	$2,317	$9,003	$1,517	$10,519

Furman Middle

Furman Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Sumter 01:

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Rank History for Furman Middle

Rank History for all students at Furman Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Furman Middle

Rank History for Female students at Furman Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Furman Middle

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Furman Middle

Rank History for Male students at Furman Middle

Rank History for African American students at Furman Middle

Rank History for White students at Furman Middle

Enrollment information for Furman Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Furman Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Furman Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Furman Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Furman Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Furman Middle

Frequently Asked Questions about Furman Middle

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