Summary:
Gaffney, South Carolina is served by two middle schools—Gaffney Middle and John E. Ewing Middle—both part of the Cherokee 01 school district, which ranks in the bottom quarter of South Carolina districts. Together, these schools serve roughly 1,231 students in grades 6-8, with Gaffney Middle enrolling more than twice as many students (851) as Ewing Middle (380).
If you're comparing the two, John E. Ewing Middle stands out academically despite its smaller size. Its Algebra 1 proficiency rate is an extraordinary 95.24%, far above the state average of 73.95% and nearly double the district's 54.38%. Ewing also shows stronger math and science scores across most grade levels—for example, 8th grade math jumped from 19.2% to 35.9% proficiency in one year, and 6th grade science improved to 41.1%. Gaffney Middle is more consistent in English Language Arts, with all three grades hovering around 44% proficiency, and it also performs well in Algebra (81.43%). However, Gaffney's math proficiency lags behind Ewing's in 6th and 8th grades, and its state ranking has stayed flat while Ewing has climbed 22 spots over two years.
A major concern for parents is attendance: Ewing's chronic absenteeism rate is 35.3%, dramatically higher than the district (26.2%) and state (22.3%) averages, which may offset some of its academic gains. Both schools struggle with grade-level math, sitting 10-20 points below state averages, though they're improving. On the positive side, both schools made significant strides in 6th grade science, and Ewing's per-student spending ($5,028) is higher than Gaffney's ($4,488), which may be fueling its stronger STEM results. Overall, Ewing offers the most impressive academic highlights, but Gaffney provides steadier, more uniform performance—and both are worth a closer look depending on your child's strengths.
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