Summary:
Effingham, South Carolina, is served by two public elementary schools within the Florence 01 school district, offering education from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade for the community's families.
For parents comparing the two schools, Dewey-Carter Elementary stands out as the more consistent academic performer. It has maintained a 3-star rating and ranks in the 55th percentile statewide, with notable strengths in 3rd-grade math and English Language Arts, where it significantly outperforms district and state averages. However, it struggles with 5th-grade math, where only 33.7% of students are proficient. In contrast, Savannah Grove Elementary shows more volatility, dropping from the 55th to the 39th percentile in state rankings over the past year and falling to a 2-star rating. While Savannah Grove excels in 5th-grade ELA (71.9% proficiency), it lags in 4th-grade math. Interestingly, Savannah Grove spends significantly more per student ($16,581 vs. $13,632) and has a better student-teacher ratio (12.4 vs. 13.7), yet this higher investment has not translated into stronger or more stable academic results compared to Dewey-Carter.
A key concern for both schools is chronic absenteeism, which is a district-wide issue. Dewey-Carter has a rate of 28.4% and Savannah Grove 26.8%, both well above the state average of 22.3%. Additionally, both schools share a common weakness in 5th-grade mathematics, with proficiency rates (33.7% and 40.3%) far below the state average of 49.1%, suggesting a systemic challenge that may require district-level intervention. For parents, this means Dewey-Carter currently offers more reliable academic outcomes, while Savannah Grove's higher spending and smaller class sizes have not yet yielded consistent gains, and attendance remains a critical factor for student success across the entire Effingham area.
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