Spartanburg 04

Spartanburg 04 is a compact four-school district in Woodruff, South Carolina, serving roughly 2,961 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, and it currently holds a 4-star rating, placing it in the upper third of districts statewide.

This district presents a fascinating split in performance. The elementary and middle schools are the clear stars. Woodruff Middle is a math powerhouse, with an extraordinary 99.99% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 exam and all three grade levels beating state averages in math. Woodruff Elementary shines brightest in 4th grade, where students outperform the state by nearly 15 points in math and nearly 7 points in science. Even Woodruff Primary keeps chronic absenteeism the lowest in the district at 20.8%. However, Woodruff High is a concerning outlier. It falls below state averages in every tested subject (English 1, English 2, and U.S. History), has the district's highest chronic absenteeism rate at 24.9%, and its graduation rate of 78.8% lags nearly 8 points behind the state. Its state ranking has plummeted from 58th to 138th in just two years.

For parents, the takeaway is that this district builds strong academic foundations, especially in math, but struggles to maintain that momentum into high school. The district spends the most per student at the high school level ($13,021), yet also has the largest class sizes, suggesting funds may not be going toward reducing student-teacher ratios. While the middle school's math success is a genuine highlight, the high school's declining scores and graduation rate are the most urgent issues. The district's overall 4-star rating is respectable, but families should be aware that the high school experience currently lags behind the quality of the earlier grades.