Summary:
Estill, South Carolina is home to a single middle school, Estill Middle, which serves grades 5 through 8 within the Hampton school district, a small, rural community with a modest enrollment of 154 students.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Estill Middle is currently facing significant academic challenges, ranking in the bottom 15% of South Carolina middle schools (286th out of 335) for the 2025-2026 school year. This represents a notable decline from the previous year. While the school benefits from a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.5:1 and high per-student spending of $17,660, these resources have not translated into strong test scores. The most concerning area is 6th-grade science, where only 11.4% of students are proficient, compared to 51.9% statewide. Chronic absenteeism is also a red flag, with 21.7% of students missing significant school days, which closely mirrors the state average and likely impacts learning.
There are, however, some bright spots to note. In English Language Arts, 5th and 7th graders both achieved a 50% proficiency rate, showing that some grade levels are performing reasonably well. The standout success is in 7th-grade math, where 40.5% of students are proficient—nearly matching the state average of 41.8% and far exceeding the district's 32.7%. This suggests that the instructional approach in that grade may be effective and worth replicating. Conversely, 6th-grade ELA saw a dramatic drop from 45.5% to 20% proficiency year-over-year, indicating a possible cohort-specific issue. Overall, while the school has pockets of success, the declining trajectory and wide gaps between grade levels suggest that parents should closely monitor their child's specific teachers and grade-level performance, and consider how chronic absenteeism might affect their family's routine.
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