Williamsburg 01

The Williamsburg 01 school district is a small, rural district in South Carolina serving about 2,716 students across 9 schools—4 elementary, 3 middle, and 2 high schools—with a current 1-star rating that places it in the 19th percentile statewide, though individual schools show meaningful variation.

For parents, the standout schools are Greeleyville STEAM Academy and Hemingway High. Greeleyville, an elementary school, earns the district's best ranking (31st percentile, 2 stars), posts the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 24.2%, and nearly matches state averages in 3rd grade ELA and math (56.1% proficiency in both) and 5th grade ELA (63.7%). Hemingway High also reaches the 31st percentile with an 84.6% graduation rate, a 1.6% dropout rate (below the state's 2.1%), and exceptional 2024-2025 scores in English 1 (87.5%) and Algebra 1 (84.77%). Among middle schools, C. E. Murray Middle leads with a 34th percentile ranking, 57.5% 8th grade ELA proficiency, and the district's best student-teacher ratio at 9.2:1.

However, significant challenges persist district-wide. Chronic absenteeism is the most pervasive issue, ranging from 24.2% to a staggering 52.8% at Hemingway High—more than double the state average of 22.3%—with W.M. Anderson Primary (45.6%), Hemingway Elementary (41%+), and Hemingway MB Lee Middle (41%+) also far above state levels. Math proficiency is a critical weakness, with middle school scores often below 30% and 8th grade math at Hemingway MB Lee at just 14.3%. Per-student spending is high ($16,578 to $28,236 at Greeleyville), yet outcomes remain below state averages, and year-over-year scores fluctuate dramatically—such as Kingstree High dropping from the 54th to 25th percentile and Kingstree Middle Magnet seeing 6th grade math fall from 35.5% to 15%. Despite these hurdles, pockets of excellence—like Hemingway Elementary's 70.4% 4th grade ELA and C. E. Murray's strong 8th grade reading—show that effective strategies exist and could be replicated across the district.