Summary:
The city of Landrum, South Carolina, is served by two public schools within the highly rated Spartanburg 01 school district, which holds a 4-star rating and ranks in the 80th percentile statewide. These schools—O. P. Earle Elementary (grades PK-5) and Landrum Middle (grades 6-8)—offer a complete PK-8 pathway for local families, with a combined enrollment of roughly 640 students.
Landrum Middle is the clear standout, ranking in the 81st percentile of South Carolina middle schools with a 4-star rating. Its performance has improved steadily over three years, and it now outperforms both district and state averages in every subject and grade level tested. For example, 6th-grade science proficiency hits 70.4% versus the state’s 51.9%, and ELA proficiency ranges from 64.8% to 70.2%. In contrast, O. P. Earle Elementary shows a concerning downward ranking trend (58th to 37th percentile) and struggles in math, with 4th-grade proficiency at just 32.8% compared to the state’s 52.3%. The elementary school’s 5th-grade ELA is its only area at or near state averages.
Operationally, both schools maintain excellent student-teacher ratios (about 12:1), but spending differs notably: Landrum Middle spends $14,802 per student versus $13,482 at O. P. Earle Elementary. The most striking contrast is chronic absenteeism: the elementary school boasts an exceptional 0.7% rate, while the middle school’s 25.4% rate means one in four students is chronically absent—a significant risk factor despite its academic success. This paradox—a struggling elementary feeding a top-performing middle school—suggests Landrum Middle is highly effective at accelerating growth, but its absenteeism problem could threaten future gains. For parents, this means choosing the elementary school offers strong engagement, while the middle school delivers outstanding academics, albeit with attendance challenges to monitor.
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