Summary:
Boiling Springs, South Carolina, is home to four elementary schools serving grades PK-5 within the highly ranked Spartanburg 02 school district, which sits in the 91st percentile statewide. These moderately large schools enroll between 709 and 864 students each, and while the district’s reputation is strong, performance varies considerably from school to school.
Sugar Ridge Elementary is the clear academic leader, earning the only 4-star rating among the group and ranking in the 72nd percentile statewide. It also has the largest enrollment (864 students) and posts the highest test scores, particularly in 5th grade, where ELA proficiency reaches 76.2% and math hits 63.3%—both above district averages. In contrast, Boiling Springs Elementary has suffered the steepest decline, falling from a 4-star to a 2-star rating over two years, with 4th grade math dropping to just 44.1% proficiency. Shoally Creek Elementary and James H. Hendrix Elementary sit in the middle, though Hendrix spends the most per student ($13,888) yet ranks lowest in percentile, while Shoally Creek has the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 19.8%.
Notably, spending does not predict success—Sugar Ridge spends nearly $1,800 less per student than Hendrix but outperforms it across every subject. Grade-level patterns also reveal potential curriculum gaps: Hendrix’s 5th grade math proficiency plummets to 38.7%, a staggering 23.6 points below the district average, while Sugar Ridge shows steady improvement from 3rd to 5th grade. Across all four schools, 4th grade math is the weakest subject, suggesting a systemic district issue. Chronic absenteeism correlates with performance, as Shoally Creek’s higher absence rate aligns with inconsistent scores. Parents should look beyond the district’s overall ranking and examine school- and grade-specific data, as outcomes vary widely even within this well-regarded district.
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