Summary:
Spartanburg 03 is a compact, high-performing district in South Carolina serving about 2,748 students across five schools—three elementary schools (Cannons Elementary, Pacolet Elementary, and Cowpens Elementary), one middle school (Clifdale Middle), and one high school (Broome High). The district ranks 10th out of 75 districts statewide (87th percentile) with a 4-star rating, placing it firmly in the top tier of South Carolina schools.
For parents, the standout elementary schools are Cannons Elementary and Pacolet Elementary. Cannons is the district's top-ranked elementary school at the 79th percentile, with exceptional math proficiency (65-76% across grades 3-5) and the highest per-student spending at $18,776. Pacolet is the most improved, jumping to the 73rd percentile, and boasts the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate (17.8%) alongside stellar 3rd grade scores (79% ELA, 75.8% math). Cowpens Elementary trails slightly but still beats state averages in most subjects. At the secondary level, Clifdale Middle shines in math—including a perfect 100% proficiency on the Algebra 1 EOC—while Broome High maintains a strong 89.5% graduation rate and low 1.0% dropout rate, though its state ranking has slipped from the 74th to 57th percentile over three years.
The district's biggest strength is mathematics, outperforming state averages by 6-16 percentage points at every level. However, chronic absenteeism is a concern—25.4% district-wide versus the state's 22.3%, with Broome High (28.7%) and Clifdale Middle (28.0%) the worst offenders. Pacolet Elementary also shows a puzzling "5th grade slump," with proficiency dropping 23-27 points from 3rd grade. Overall, this is a rising-tide district with strong elementary foundations and clear academic identity—if it can tackle attendance issues and reverse Broome's decline, it has elite potential.
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