Southside Middle

Located at 209 W. Jones Paul Road, in Florence, South Carolina, Southside Middle is a big middle school that teaches 1,138 students (grades 6 through 8), part of Florence 01. That puts it 83% bigger than the typical public school in South Carolina, which averages around 622 students.

Within Florence 01, which oversees 23 schools and 15,861 students, Southside Middle is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Southside Middle shows that 51% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 32% White, 9% multiracial, 6% Hispanic. By comparison, Florence County as a whole is about 43% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.

On the resource side, The school reports having 80 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.2:1. The state averages about 13.8:1, putting this campus right in line with peers.

In the broader community, the surrounding county (Florence County) reports that median household income runs about $58,305, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 13% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Southside Middle is one of 39 public schools in Florence County (combined enrollment of about 21,641 students).

South Florence High is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The school occupies a countryside site.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count climbed 23%: 923 students in 2018 compared to 1,138 in 2025. The White share of enrollment contracted from 44% to 32% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 15.4:1 in 2018 to 14.2:1 today.

On the community side, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.