Best Middle Schools in Dillon, SC

Dillon, South Carolina is served by a single middle school, Dillon Middle, which educates students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Dillon 04 school district, a district that currently ranks in the bottom 10% of the state.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that Dillon Middle faces significant academic challenges, but also has a few bright spots. The school has consistently received a 1-star rating and ranks in the bottom 20% of South Carolina schools. Standardized test scores in math are a major concern, with proficiency rates in 6th and 7th grade hovering around 16-17%, compared to state averages of roughly 41%. English Language Arts scores are better but still below state averages, with 6th and 7th grade showing slight improvement over the previous year, while 8th grade declined. The most striking outlier is the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam, where the school reports a perfect 100% proficiency rate—far exceeding the district (57.8%) and state (74%)—suggesting a highly effective program for its top math students. However, this success does not translate to the broader student body.

A critical issue is chronic absenteeism, which stands at a very high 44.5%—nearly double the state average of 22.3%. This likely plays a major role in the low test scores. The school does invest heavily in its students, spending $12,840 per pupil and maintaining a 16:1 student-teacher ratio, yet outcomes remain low. This suggests the problem is not a lack of funding, but rather how resources are used and the need to address the attendance crisis. Ultimately, Dillon Middle mirrors the struggles of its Dillon 04 district, indicating systemic challenges that require focused attention on attendance and scaling the success of its advanced math program to all students.