Middle Schools in Richland 01

The Richland 01 school district in South Carolina contains 9 middle schools serving grades 6-8, with a total enrollment of roughly 4,710 students and a district-wide state ranking in the bottom third of South Carolina districts.

This is a district of stark contrasts. Crayton Middle is the clear standout, ranking in the top 15% of all South Carolina middle schools with 4-star ratings for three consecutive years. Its students achieve 70% ELA proficiency and 58% math proficiency, dramatically outpacing the district averages of roughly 47% and 30% respectively. Hand Middle is the only other school above the 50th percentile, with 61% ELA proficiency. The remaining seven schools all rank in the bottom quarter of the state. Alcorn Middle sits at the very bottom (334th of 335 schools) with just 10% math proficiency, while W. A. Perry Middle and Heyward Gibbes Middle also struggle significantly. Notably, W. G. Sanders Middle has shown a troubling decline, dropping from the 185th to 263rd ranking in just two years.

Perhaps the most surprising finding is that spending does not predict success. W. A. Perry Middle spends over $30,000 per student—78% more than Crayton Middle—yet ranks in the bottom 10% of the state. Chronic absenteeism is a critical district-wide issue, averaging 26.7% versus the state's 22.3%, with W. A. Perry Middle at a staggering 47% and Heyward Gibbes Middle at 44%. Only Crayton Middle (17.4%) and Southeast Middle (22.2%) fall at or below state averages. On a positive note, several schools including W. G. Sanders Middle, Southeast Middle, and Hopkins Middle show near-perfect pass rates on the Algebra EOCEP exam, suggesting strong advanced math programs even at schools with low overall math scores.