Summary:
The Calhoun 01 school district in rural South Carolina serves two K-8 schools—Sandy Run School in Swansea and St. Matthews K-8 School in Saint Matthews—with a combined enrollment of about 1,068 students, and both schools face significant academic challenges compared to state averages.
When comparing the two schools, St. Matthews K-8 School holds a slight edge in overall state ranking (517th vs. 542nd) and has notably lower chronic absenteeism (23.1% vs. 27.6%). However, Sandy Run School spends about $1,090 less per student ($16,927 vs. $18,017) while achieving comparable results, suggesting more efficient resource use. The most dramatic difference appears in 4th-grade math, where St. Matthews posts 44.4% proficiency versus Sandy Run's 19.6%—a 24.8-point gap. Yet this pattern flips by 6th grade, with Sandy Run (32.7%) outperforming St. Matthews (18.4%) by 14.3 points. St. Matthews also shows relative strength in upper-grade ELA, approaching state averages in 7th and 8th grade, while Sandy Run excels in 7th-grade math (43.2% vs. 22.9%).
Both schools struggle most in science, with 6th-grade proficiency around 21%—less than half the state average of 51.9%. A consistent 5th-grade ELA drop (to roughly 37% at both schools) suggests a district-wide instructional issue. Chronic absenteeism exceeds the state average at both schools, and despite high per-student spending, both rank in the bottom 20th percentile statewide. Year-over-year data shows concerning declines, including Sandy Run's 4th-grade math falling from 25.9% to 19.6% and St. Matthews' 6th-grade math dropping from 32.6% to 18.4%. For parents, this means neither school offers consistently strong academics across all grades, but St. Matthews may be preferable for early math and older students' literacy, while Sandy Run shows better efficiency and stronger middle-grade math in some areas.
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