Summary:
Dillon 03 is home to a single middle school, Latta Middle, which serves grades 6 through 8 in the Latta, SC area with a total enrollment of 349 students.
For parents considering Dillon 03, Latta Middle stands out as a school with a clear academic identity. The most striking strength is in mathematics, where the school consistently beats the state average in every grade level. For example, 6th-grade math proficiency sits at 49.6% compared to the state's 40.9%. Even more impressive is the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam performance, where 91.43% of students scored proficient—a remarkable 24-point lead over the state average. This suggests the school's advanced math program is exceptionally effective at preparing 8th graders for high school-level coursework. However, the school shows a different pattern in English Language Arts, where proficiency rates (around 54%) lag slightly behind state averages, indicating that literacy instruction may be an area for future focus. The school has maintained a stable 3-star rating for three years and currently ranks 135th out of 335 schools statewide, placing it in the 60th percentile.
Beyond test scores, Latta Middle operates efficiently with a student-teacher ratio of 15.1:1 and per-student spending of $8,512, which is relatively lean yet still yields strong math outcomes. Chronic absenteeism sits at 19.3%, which is better than the state average of 22.3% but slightly higher than the district's own average of 18.2%. One notable concern is a significant year-over-year drop in 8th-grade math proficiency, falling from 52.2% to 29.3%, which could reflect a cohort effect or curriculum change worth investigating. Overall, Latta Middle offers a solid educational foundation with a particular excellence in mathematics, making it a strong choice for families who value quantitative skills, while also highlighting opportunities for growth in reading and attendance.
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