Summary:
Hickory Grove, South Carolina, is served by a single school, Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary, a PK-6 school with 401 students in the York 01 district, making it the educational anchor for this small community.
This is a school on a clear upward trajectory. In just two years, it has jumped from the 34th to the 51st percentile in state rankings, moving from a 2-star to a 3-star rating. The most dramatic gains are in 3rd grade, where math proficiency soared by 16.1 points and English Language Arts (ELA) by 9.5 points in a single year. The school also shows notable strength in upper-grade science, with 6th graders scoring 11.7 points above the district average. However, performance is uneven. While 6th grade ELA is a standout at 61.8% proficiency (12.6 points above the district), 5th grade ELA is a major concern, sitting at 46.3%—a sharp 7.2-point drop from the prior year and 17.3 points below the state average. Similarly, 4th grade math lags behind both district and state benchmarks.
For parents, the biggest takeaway is that this school is improving, but challenges remain. The most pressing issue is chronic absenteeism, which affects 29.4% of students—well above the state average of 22.3%. This likely holds back overall achievement. On the positive side, the school maintains a favorable 13.8:1 student-to-teacher ratio and spends $14,293 per student, suggesting smaller class sizes and solid resources. The mixed results across grade levels point to pockets of excellence that could be replicated school-wide. If the school can address attendance and the 5th grade ELA slump, its rapid momentum suggests it could become a top-tier elementary school in South Carolina within a few years.
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