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Lee Central Middle

Public Grades 6-8

331^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 341 South Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 3% of South Carolina middle schools

Summary

Lee Central Middle in Bishopville, SC, serves 288 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Lee 01 district, with 100% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.

Lee Central Middle is currently ranked in the bottom 3% of middle schools in South Carolina, and its academic performance lags significantly behind nearby schools. The most striking gap is in mathematics: 8th-grade math proficiency sits at just 9.6%, compared to 41.4% at Spaulding Middle and 39.2% at Darlington Middle, both just a short drive away. English Language Arts scores are also low, with 6th-grade proficiency at 24.5% versus 55.1% at Spaulding Middle. The school ranks in the 1st percentile for serving students from low socio-economic backgrounds and the 2nd percentile for male students, indicating particular challenges in supporting these groups.

Despite these struggles, there are some notable positives. The school has a very favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.2, the lowest among all comparable schools, and spends $23,994 per student—significantly more than Spaulding Middle's $18,777. However, this high spending has not translated into better outcomes. There is also a glimmer of hope in ELA: 7th-grade proficiency improved from 24.5% in 2023-2024 to 39.6% in 2024-2025, suggesting some interventions may be working. The biggest concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 37%—far above the state average of 22.3% and more than double Spaulding Middle's rate of 15.1%. The comparison with Spaulding Middle, which achieves much better results while spending less, shows that significant improvement is possible within the same regional context.

288

Students ?

10.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,994

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

41 Charlene Lane
Bishopville, SC 29010

(803) 428-2100

District: Lee 01

Students who attend Lee Central Middle usually attend:

High:

Lee Central High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

87.5%

White:

8.0%

Hispanic:

3.5%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare Lee Central Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 3rd percentile in 2016 → 3rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (21% vs 51% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (37% vs 22% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school21%

District avg21%

South Carolina avg51%

331^st of 341

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 3%▬ steady since 2016

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

71^st of 75Lee 01 among South Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	6.2	331 of 341	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.8	309 of 321	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.6	315 of 322	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.4	314 of 325	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.7	296 of 310	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.5	306 of 311	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.2	303 of 315	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.4	299 of 303	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	10.3	303 of 317	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.0	294 of 303	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	6.2	296 of 301	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.0	290 of 291	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	1.1	276 of 276	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	2.3	269 of 271	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	4.0	264 of 269	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	15.1	242 of 258	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	22.1	217 of 251	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.0	231 of 246	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.8	238 of 253	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	23.8	211 of 249	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.3	218 of 235	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	21.1	222 of 252	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.0	231 of 237	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	21.1	170 of 194	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	8.3	301 of 310	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.9	257 of 295	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	6.9	290 of 293	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.6	290 of 299	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.0	277 of 290	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.8	279 of 279	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.7	282 of 296	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.1	277 of 281	1.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	6.8	320 of 325	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.1	295 of 308	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.5	296 of 304	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.8	297 of 313	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	13.0	287 of 300	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.1	286 of 288	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	11.4	275 of 289	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.7	275 of 280	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	4.8	302 of 310	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.4	293 of 298	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.9	275 of 292	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	9.1	289 of 303	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.4	280 of 292	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.0	260 of 279	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.4	284 of 296	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.5	272 of 284	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2018)12th percentile+11 vs school

African American (2026)6th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)2nd percentile~ school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts30%-28 vs state

Science19%-33 vs state

Mathematics12%-30 vs state

★

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Schools Near Lee Central Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	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
Lee Central Middle	Public	6-8	41 Charlene Lane	Bishopville	29010	Lee County	Lee 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 428-2100	288	28	10.2	100.0%	23 (8.0%)	252 (87.5%)	10 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	6.2	331^st of 341 public middle schools	2.9%		8.8	309^th of 321 public middle schools	3.7%	22	24.5	32.1	33.7	11.7	15.4	9.6	19.1	$23,994	$1,531	$5,618	$7,149	$12,107	$4,738	$16,845
Spaulding Middle	Public	6-8	400 East Cartersville Highway	Lamar	29069	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 326-7625	228	18	12.6	100.0%	77 (33.8%)	115 (50.4%)	13 (5.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.6%)	42.5	186^th of 341 public middle schools	45.5%		51.6	137^th of 321 public middle schools	57.3%	49	55.1	53.3	50.6	26.9	42.9	41.4	42.3	$18,777	$2,233	$1,365	$3,598	$12,774	$2,404	$15,179
Hartsville Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1427 Fourteenth Street	Hartsville	29550	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 857-3121	801	61	13.1	100.0%	353 (44.1%)	306 (38.2%)	59 (7.4%)	8 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	75 (9.4%)	41.7	194^th of 341 public middle schools	43.1%		36.9	198^th of 321 public middle schools	38.3%	4	50.0	59.5	49.2	34.0	38.6	27.5	50.4	$16,121	$1,284	$1,035	$2,320	$12,135	$1,666	$13,801
Ebenezer Middle	Public	6-8	3440 Ebenezer Road	Sumter	29153	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 469-8571	352	27	13.0	100.0%	40 (11.4%)	278 (79.0%)	18 (5.1%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.4%)	15.5	304^th of 341 public middle schools	10.9%		15.6	276^th of 321 public middle schools	14.0%	28	34.4	41.4	40.9	18.8	20.8	17.9	35.9	$13,950	$1,095	$2,050	$3,145	$9,095	$1,710	$10,805
Chestnut Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	1200 Oswego Road	Sumter	29153	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 775-7272	339	21	16.1	100.0%	17 (5.0%)	276 (81.4%)	33 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.2%)	6.3	330^th of 341 public middle schools	3.2%		6.5	317^th of 321 public middle schools	1.2%	13	19.4	36.9	31.2	6.5	14.1	21.5	17.2	$16,083	$1,837	$2,270	$4,108	$9,158	$2,817	$11,975
Hillcrest Middle	Public	6-8	4355 Peach Orchard Road	Dalzell	29040	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 499-3341	365	25	14.6	100.0%	111 (30.4%)	191 (52.3%)	38 (10.4%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	18 (4.9%)	30.4	240^th of 341 public middle schools	29.6%		39	191^st of 321 public middle schools	40.5%	49	33.6	52.4	52.3	22.1	34.3	39.2	35.4	$13,183	$1,020	$1,467	$2,487	$9,298	$1,399	$10,696
Darlington Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	150 Pinedale Drive	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 398-5088	888	58	15.3	100.0%	210 (23.6%)	538 (60.6%)	35 (3.9%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (11.1%)	39	208^th of 341 public middle schools	39.0%		35.9	202^nd of 321 public middle schools	37.1%	6	49.4	48.4	58.2	33.6	28.8	39.2	45.0	$15,589	$1,606	$1,442	$3,048	$10,927	$1,614	$12,540
Alice Drive Middle	Public	6-8	40 Miller Road	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 775-0821	783	47	16.6	100.0%	235 (30.0%)	439 (56.1%)	42 (5.4%)	25 (3.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.9%)	37.9	214^th of 341 public middle schools	37.2%		49.7	145^th of 321 public middle schools	54.8%	69	45.0	59.4	49.0	26.1	32.2	35.7	48.4	$12,758	$756	$1,028	$1,784	$9,615	$1,358	$10,974

Frequently Asked Questions about Lee Central Middle

Is Lee Central Middle a good school?

Lee Central Middle ranks in the bottom 2.9% of South Carolina middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Lee Central Middle attend?

Students who attend Lee Central Middle usually go on to attend Lee Central High

What is the racial makeup of Lee Central Middle?

Students at Lee Central Middle are 88% African American, 8% White, 3% Hispanic.

How many students attend Lee Central Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 288 students attended Lee Central Middle.

What district is Lee Central Middle in?

Lee 01

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.