Summary:
Sumter, South Carolina is home to 12 elementary schools serving approximately 5,979 students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, with the majority belonging to the Sumter 01 district and one independent charter school, Liberty STEAM Charter School.
For parents, the standout school in the area is Alice Drive Elementary, which ranks in the 81st percentile statewide with a 4-star rating and dramatically outperforms other local schools—for example, its 4th grade math proficiency rate of 70% is nearly double the district average of 35.8%. Liberty STEAM Charter School is a solid alternative, earning a 3-star rating and matching state averages in English Language Arts across all grade levels. On the other end of the spectrum, R. E. Davis College Preparatory Academy ranks in the 2nd percentile with a 0-star rating, and Cherryvale Elementary, Lemira Elementary, and Crosswell Drive Elementary all rank in the bottom 6th percentile. Willow Drive Elementary showed the most improvement, jumping from the 11th to 20th percentile in one year, though it still faces significant challenges.
The most pressing issue across Sumter schools is chronic absenteeism, which averages 35.9% district-wide compared to the state average of 22.3%. Willow Drive Elementary has the highest rate at 52.8%, followed by Lemira Elementary at 45.1% and Crosswell Drive Elementary at 45.0%. Notably, higher spending does not lead to better results—R. E. Davis spends $18,431 per student yet ranks near the bottom, while Alice Drive spends less and achieves the top ranking. Mathematics is the biggest academic weakness, with 5th grade math proficiency rates as low as 7.2% at Willow Drive compared to the state average of 49.1%. The Sumter 01 district overall ranks in the 11th percentile statewide, indicating systemic challenges, though Alice Drive proves high achievement is possible in this area.
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