Summary:
Rowesville, South Carolina, is served by two schools within the Orangeburg school district, which together educate 608 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade on a shared campus.
For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that both schools face significant academic challenges, though they show different strengths. Bethune-Bowman Middle/High (grades 6-12) is the larger school and stands out for its impressive 92.2% graduation rate, which exceeds both district and state averages, and its exceptional Algebra 1 proficiency at 79.59%—the only subject where it outperforms the state. However, this same school struggles dramatically in other areas, with U.S. History proficiency at just 11.76% and English 1 at 28.85%. Meanwhile, Bethune-Bowman Elementary (grades PK-5) shows more consistency, with 3rd grade ELA (45.9%) actually exceeding the district average, but its math scores decline sharply by 4th grade, dropping to just 14.7% proficiency. Both schools received 0-star ratings and rank in the bottom 10% of South Carolina schools, with the middle/high school ranking 241st out of 245 high schools statewide.
Several factors complicate the picture. Both schools spend over $15,000 per student—among the highest in the state—yet achieve low results, suggesting funding alone isn't the answer. Chronic absenteeism affects roughly 1 in 4 students, with the elementary school at 27.1% and the middle/high at 23.2%. The data also shows significant year-to-year volatility, such as 7th grade math jumping from 4% to 21.4% proficiency in one year, indicating small class sizes where a few students can shift percentages dramatically. For parents, this means the schools offer some bright spots—particularly the graduation rate and Algebra program at the middle/high school—but the overall academic foundation is weak, and attendance issues likely compound learning gaps over time.
Thank you for your feedback!