Summary:
The city of Hickory Grove, South Carolina has only one public school, Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary, which serves students from grades K-6. The school is part of the York 01 school district. While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, it faces several challenges, including a declining statewide ranking, underperformance in test scores, and a high chronic absenteeism rate.
Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary has seen its statewide ranking drop from 515th out of 644 South Carolina elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 377th out of 640 in 2024-2025, placing it in the bottom half of elementary schools in the state. The school's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are consistently below the district and state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 53.5% to 54.9% in ELA and 40.6% to 48% in Mathematics. Additionally, the school has a concerning chronic absenteeism rate of 22.5%, which may be impacting student learning and achievement.
Despite these challenges, Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary serves a student population with significant economic disadvantages, with 64.17% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch in the 2023-2024 school year. The school's spending per student for the same year was $12,837, which may be a relevant factor in understanding the resources available to support student learning. Overall, the data suggests that the school and district leadership should focus on addressing the root causes of the school's declining performance and implementing targeted strategies to improve student outcomes.
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