Furman Middle School

What Furman Middle School does

Furman Middle School is a public middle school serving approximately 725 students in grades 6-8, operated by Sumter School District and located at 3400 Bethel Church Road in Sumter, South Carolina, roughly 9 miles southwest of the city of Sumter. The school opened as a middle school in 1996 after previously serving as a high school for several decades and now draws students from at least 10 communities in the surrounding area, including Cane Savannah, Cherryvale, Delaine, Lakewood, Manchester, Pinewood, Privateer, Sumter, Wedgewood, and Wedgefield. Its mascot is the Indians, with "Furman Pride" as a community-facing brand.

The school's core academic product is a standards-aligned curriculum in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, supplemented by Career and Technical Education (CTE), Project Lead the Way (PLTW) STEM courses, and the school-wide AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) college and career readiness framework. Supporting offerings include fine arts (band, chorus, theatre, yearbook, newspaper), athletics (basketball, track, football, cheerleading, volleyball, a new e-sports program, and JV baseball/softball in partnership with Lakewood High School), after-school programming through Engaging Creative Minds and the National Summer Learning Project (ECM and Project BiG), and student support services including three grade-level counselors, two school psychologists, a career specialist, a media specialist, and Title I-funded interventions. Technology infrastructure centers on PowerSchool for student information and parent portal access, Destiny for library management, SC Discus for digital library resources, Sprigeo for anonymous bullying reporting, PayPAMS for meal payments, AppliTrack for hiring, and Sterling Volunteers for volunteer background checks.

Furman Middle School does not charge tuition and operates on public education funding — a combination of state appropriations, local tax revenues, federal Title I allocations under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and district budget allocations. Its go-to-market is effectively community-led: students enroll through the Sumter School District attendance office based on residential zoning. The school is governed operationally by a principal (J. Tanner Curry), three assistant principals (Krista Jennings for 6th grade, Joseph Bettinger for 7-8th grade, Shevonne Richardson for instruction and testing), curriculum and math coaches, and a School Improvement Council that has set explicit 2030-2031 proficiency, teacher-evaluation, and discipline-reduction targets. As a government entity within a public school district, Furman Middle School does not have commercial revenue, venture funding, or external ownership.

Name

Furman Middle School

Legal name

Furman Middle School

Website

https://fms.sumterschools.net

Company type

Public

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Furman Middle School is a public grades 6-8 school operated by Sumter School District in Sumter, South Carolina, serving about 725 students from 10 surrounding communities through core academics, AVID, PLTW STEM, CTE, fine arts, athletics, and after-school programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public K-12 Middle School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ)

Keywords

• Middle school education
• Public education services
• K-12 academic programs
• College readiness programs
• STEM curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Sumter

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Furman Middle School is a public middle school operated by Sumter School District, funded through state and local tax revenues, federal Title I funding for eligible programs, and district budget allocations. No direct tuition or fee-based revenue model.
2. Title I Federal Funding: Title I funding from the Elementary and Secondary Act supports parent involvement, parent education, mathematics, reading programs, and school-wide projects. Funding supports smaller classes, additional teachers and assistants, extra instruction time, and research-based teaching methods.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Furman Middle School is a public middle school serving approximately 725 students in grades 6-8, delivering a comprehensive academic program built around AVID school-wide college/career readiness, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) STEM courses, and core academic subjects (English, mathematics, science, social studies). It supplements academics with CTE career exploration, fine arts (band, chorus, theatre), athletics (including e-sports), after-school tutoring and enrichment, special education services, and student counseling. The school is funded through Sumter School District public education funding and federal Title I grants.

Product overview

Furman Middle School offers a comprehensive middle school education for approximately 725 students in grades 6-8, structured as an integrated program of core academics combined with specialized offerings. The school operates as an AVID school with Project Lead the Way STEM courses and Career and Technical Education as foundational programs. Fine arts (band, chorus, theatre), athletics, and after-school programs (ECM, Project BiG) extend learning beyond core subjects. Student support services include counseling, Title I interventions, special services, and a media center with digital library resources. The school uses PowerSchool for student information management and offers parent engagement through the School Improvement Council.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Academic Education (Grades 6-8) Comprehensive academic instruction in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies for grades 6-8, aligned with South Carolina state standards, delivered to enrolled students in the Sumter School District.
• AVID School Program School-wide AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) college and career readiness framework, embedding character development, citizenship, and soft-skill expectations across all courses for the entire student body.
• Project Lead the Way (PLTW) STEM Courses Project-based STEM curriculum delivering hands-on learning in industrial technology and engineering, aligned with PLTW's bridge, gateway, and successor programs as a designated PLTW school.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Vocational and technical education courses providing career exploration, technical skills, and workforce readiness pathways taught by dedicated CTE instructors.
• After-School Programs (ECM and Project BiG) Two after-school programs partnering with Engaging Creative Minds and the National Summer Learning Project, focused on arts integration, STEAM activities, and intensive individualized tutoring.
• Athletic Programs Competitive sports including basketball, track and field, football, cheerleading, volleyball, JV baseball and softball (in partnership with Lakewood High School), and a new e-sports program.
• Fine Arts Programs Creative arts education including band, chorus, theatre, yearbook, and newspaper, with exploratory arts courses and performances.
• Student Counseling Services Comprehensive student support including individual responsive counseling, academic planning, small group guidance, career counseling with field experiences, and mental health counseling with crisis intervention, delivered by three grade-level counselors.
• Special Education Services Special education case management, school psychology services, and accommodations for students with disabilities delivered by special services case managers and school psychologists.
• Title I Program Federal Title I-funded program providing academic support through smaller classes, additional teachers and assistants, extended instruction time, research-based teaching methods, and parent involvement workshops.
• Media Center Services School library providing eBooks via Destiny Discover, SC Discus database access, SC Junior Book Award nominees, and community library resources, open Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM.

Quantifiable outcome

• SIC Goal: By Spring 2031, increase percentage of students performing at Approaches, Meets, and Exceeds on Spring MAP Projected Proficiency in ELA and mathematics by minimum 2 percentage points annually, with baseline: Exceeds 6.5%, Meets 10.6%, Approaches 32.5% in Math; Exceeds 11.2%, Meets 19.9%, Approaches 36.3% in ELA.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Summer Learning ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing after-school program focused on arts and STEAM integration, as well as intensive individualized tutoring. Part of the school's commitment to preventing summer learning loss and providing enrichment opportunities.
• Engaging Creative MindscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Project BiG after-school program offering arts and STEAM integration, complementing intensive individualized tutoring services. Supports the school's mission of providing real-world experiences and creative learning opportunities.
• Lakewood High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to offer JV baseball and softball programs, allowing Furman Middle School students to participate in athletic programs beyond what the middle school independently offers.
• South Carolina Department of EducationcoreOthersThe school's Media Specialist, Mrs. Stella Hall, serves as a leadership coach for the South Carolina Department of Education. School follows state uniform grading scale and SC Teaching Standards 4.0 evaluation system.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Kelly Mill Middle School: Public middle school in Richland Two School District (Columbia, SC) serving grades 6-8 with similar academic and athletic programming. Relevant regional peer for benchmark comparison outside Sumter School District.
• Crayton Middle School: Public middle school in Richland Two School District (Columbia, SC) serving grades 6-8 with comparable academic and extracurricular offerings. Provides a regional benchmark for South Carolina public middle school operations.
• Dent Middle School: Public middle school in Richland Two School District (Columbia, SC) serving grades 6-8. Comparable regional peer for South Carolina public middle school operations, programming, and funding dynamics.
• Hand Middle School: Public middle school in Richland One School District (Columbia, SC) serving grades 6-8 with comparable AVID and academic programming. Comparable as a regional South Carolina public middle school with similar scale and mission.

Direct peers

• Hillcrest Middle School: Public middle school within Sumter School District serving grades 6-8. Operates under the same district policies, state standards, and residential zoning framework as Furman, offering a directly comparable operating context.
• R.E. Davis College Preparatory Academy: Sumter School District school with a college-preparatory focus, offering a more specialized alternative within the same district. Provides a relevant comparison point for Furman's AVID college-readiness programming.
• Bates Middle School: Public middle school within Sumter School District serving grades 6-8. Operates in the same district, competes for the same residential student population, and offers overlapping academic and extracurricular programming, making it the closest comparable peer.
• Ebenezer Middle School: Public middle school within Sumter School District serving grades 6-8. Shares the same district administration, Title I considerations, and middle-grade instructional model as Furman.
• Alice Drive Middle School: Public middle school within Sumter School District serving grades 6-8. Competes with Furman for residential enrollment and operates under identical district and state educational frameworks.
• Chestnut Oaks Middle School: Public middle school within Sumter School District serving grades 6-8. Shares the same district funding, curriculum standards, and enrollment zone dynamics as Furman, providing a directly comparable benchmark.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SumterSCSchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/fmsIndians
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/furman-middle-school

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Furman Middle School