Summary:
The city of Neeses, South Carolina, is served by two schools within the Orangeburg school district, which together educate 399 students in grades PK-12 on a shared campus.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High (grades 6-12) and Hunter-Kinard-Tyler Elementary (grades PK-5) face significant academic challenges, but they are not without bright spots. The high school shows genuine strength in English, with 8th grade ELA proficiency (53.2%) now exceeding the district average and English 2 EOCEP scores (71.4%) approaching the state average. It also boasts a remarkably low dropout rate of 0.8%, far better than the state average of 2.1%. However, math proficiency remains critically low—only 9.1% of 6th graders and 11.5% of 7th graders are proficient—and the U.S. History EOCEP score collapsed to just 7.1% proficiency, a 31-point drop that warrants immediate investigation. The elementary school, meanwhile, has recovered from being ranked nearly last in the state (637th out of 638) to the 10th percentile, with 3rd grade ELA jumping from 35.5% to 53.8% proficiency. Yet 4th grade scores remain a concern, with only 32.3% proficient in ELA and 19.4% in math.
Both schools struggle with chronic absenteeism—29.9% at the high school and 25.4% at the elementary—compared to 22.3% statewide, which is likely a major driver of low performance. This is particularly striking given that the high school spends $19,181 per student with a favorable 12.8:1 student-teacher ratio, suggesting the issue is not resources but rather engagement and instructional alignment. The graduation rate of 79.4% trails the state's 86.7%, though the low dropout rate indicates students who stay enrolled tend to finish. For parents, the 8th grade ELA success and 3rd grade improvements offer proof that progress is possible, but the math crisis and attendance issues will require focused attention to turn these schools around.
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