Summary:
Clio, South Carolina is served by a single school, Clio Elementary, a small PK-5 institution with 188 students in the Marlboro 01 district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Clio Elementary offers an exceptionally personalized learning environment, but faces significant challenges. The school boasts a remarkable 9.8:1 student-teacher ratio and spends $17,383 per student, indicating small classes and substantial resources. However, academic performance is mixed. While 4th graders shine—scoring 60.7% in ELA and 46.4% in math, which is close to state averages and far above district peers—3rd and 5th graders lag significantly, with 3rd grade math at just 30.8% proficiency, a 28-point gap from the state. The school's ranking improved dramatically from the 11th to the 23rd percentile in one year, showing positive momentum. A critical concern is chronic absenteeism: 34.5% of students miss 10% or more of school days, compared to 22.3% statewide. This likely undermines even the best instruction. Despite this, Clio Elementary outperforms its district in nearly every subject, suggesting it is a relative bright spot in a struggling area.
Parents should understand that the small cohort size (roughly 30 students per grade) means year-to-year scores can swing wildly based on a few students. The excellent 4th-grade results may reflect a particularly effective teaching team or a strong cohort, while the lower 3rd-grade scores could be a temporary dip. The school's high spending and low class sizes are positives, but the attendance crisis is the biggest barrier to success. If your child attends regularly, they will likely receive strong individual attention. The school is improving, and its relative success within the Marlboro 01 district—which ranks in the bottom 5% statewide—makes it a stable choice in the area, though families should be prepared to support learning at home to offset the effects of high absenteeism among peers.
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