Florence 02

Florence 02 is a small, two-school district in Pamplico, SC, serving roughly 1,114 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, and it currently holds a mid-tier 2-star rating statewide.

These two schools tell very different stories. Hannah Pamplico High School is the clear standout, showing strong upward momentum in its state ranking and posting impressive results. It boasts a 90.5% graduation rate, well above the state average, and a dropout rate of just 0.6%. The high school also outperforms the state in Algebra 1 and U.S. History end-of-course exams. In contrast, Hannah-Pamplico Elementary/Middle School faces significant hurdles, particularly in math and science. For example, only 20.3% of its 8th graders are proficient in math, less than half the state average, and 4th-grade science proficiency sits at 24.6% versus the state's 51.6%. However, the elementary/middle school does have bright spots, including 7th-grade ELA proficiency that exceeds the state average and a perfect 100% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 exam for its advanced students.

A few key issues stand out for parents. Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, with 27.7% of high school students and 23.8% of elementary/middle school students missing significant instructional time. There is also a puzzling "7th-grade peak" where student performance in both ELA and math jumps in 7th grade, only to collapse in 8th grade—a 26-point drop in math proficiency. This suggests a possible curriculum or instructional gap. Additionally, the high school receives 24% more funding per student than the elementary/middle school, a disparity worth noting given the younger students' greater academic challenges. While the high school's success is encouraging, the district's overall improvement will depend on addressing the elementary/middle school's math struggles and absenteeism issues.