Summary:
The city of York, South Carolina, is served by the York 01 school district, which includes 7 schools—4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school—educating roughly 4,545 students across grades PK-12. The district overall earns a 3-star rating and ranks in the 53rd percentile statewide, but this average masks a wide range of performance between its schools.
For parents, the standout choice is Hunter Street Elementary, which ranks in the 69th percentile and exceeds state averages in every subject and grade level tested—its 4th grade ELA proficiency is 73% compared to the district's 61%. Harold C. Johnson Elementary is the most improved, jumping from the 21st to the 50th percentile in just two years, and now matches state averages in 3rd grade math and ELA. Jefferson Elementary sits near the middle at the 58th percentile, while Cotton Belt Elementary is the district's biggest concern, ranking in the 27th percentile and falling below state averages in every subject—its 4th grade science proficiency is just 34.1% versus the state's 51.6%. The gap between Hunter Street and Cotton Belt is a massive 42 percentile points within the same district.
The middle and high school years show a troubling decline. York Intermediate (grades 5-6) and York Middle (grades 7-8) both fall below state averages in ELA and math, with chronic absenteeism at York Middle reaching 35.2%—58% higher than the state average. At York Comprehensive High, Algebra 1 proficiency is just 29.8% versus the state's 64.6%, though English 2 proficiency is a brighter spot at 77.4%. The district's graduation rate is 83.9%, slightly below the state's 86.7%. Notably, higher spending doesn't guarantee better results—Cotton Belt spends more per student than York Intermediate yet performs worse, suggesting that how funds are used matters more than the amount.
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