Summary:
The city of Bamberg, South Carolina, is served by the Bamberg 03 school district, which includes three schools—Richard Carroll Elementary (PK-6), Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle (7-8), and Bamberg-Ehrhardt High (9-12)—serving roughly 1,260 students in a small, rural community.
For parents, the standout school is Bamberg-Ehrhardt High, which earns a 3-star rating and ranks in the 50th percentile statewide. It boasts an 88.2% graduation rate, a low 1.8% dropout rate, and exceptional Algebra 1 proficiency at 86.07%—a remarkable 21.5 points above the state average. However, its performance is uneven: U.S. History (51.45%) and English 1 (56.21%) lag significantly behind state averages. Meanwhile, Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle has shown dramatic improvement, jumping from a 1-star to a 3-star rating in one year. Math proficiency nearly doubled in both 7th and 8th grades (from ~24% to ~43%), though chronic absenteeism at 28.4% remains a serious concern. Richard Carroll Elementary, the largest school with 689 students, presents a mixed picture: it outperforms the state in 3rd grade ELA (70.2% vs. 64.1%) but struggles mightily in math, with 4th grade proficiency at just 28%—a 24.3-point deficit versus the state.
District-wide, spending is high ($16,591–$19,508 per student) and student-teacher ratios are favorable (10.4–14:1), yet the district ranks in the 33rd percentile. The most pressing issue is the elementary math crisis, which likely feeds into middle school struggles. Encouragingly, the district is on an upward trajectory: the high school has held 3-star status for two years, the middle school rebounded strongly, and elementary ELA scores improved across most grades. For parents, this means Bamberg-Ehrhardt High offers strong college-prep opportunities in math and English, while the middle school is improving rapidly, but elementary math and middle school attendance are areas needing close attention.
Thank you for your feedback!