Summary
Latta Elementary in Latta, SC, is a Pre-K through 5th grade school serving 721 students in the Dillon 03 district, and it stands out as a high-performing option in a region where many nearby schools struggle.
In the 2025-2026 school year, Latta Elementary earned a 3-star rating and ranked in the 53rd percentile statewide, a significant jump from the previous year's 2-star rating. This improvement is particularly notable when compared to neighboring schools. For example, Clio Elementary ranks in the 23rd percentile, Wallace Gregg Elementary in the 22nd, and Lake View Elementary in the 14th. Latta also outperforms these schools on nearly every subject and grade level. In 3rd-grade ELA, for instance, Latta's proficiency rate was 67.2%, compared to 55.4% at Wallace Gregg and 38.5% at Clio. The school also has a much lower chronic absenteeism rate (15.9%) than its peers, many of which have rates above 33%, suggesting a stronger culture of attendance and engagement.
While Latta's overall performance is encouraging, there are areas of concern. The school shows a clear pattern of declining proficiency as students move into upper grades, especially in math. While 3rd-grade math proficiency (65.6%) is above the state average, it drops to 53.5% in 4th grade and plummets to 39.8% in 5th grade, well below the state average. Year-to-year scores also fluctuate significantly, though the most recent data shows broad improvement across almost all subjects. Notably, Latta achieves these results while spending less per student ($13,812) than many neighbors, such as McCormick Elementary ($17,383) and North Mullins Primary ($19,656), and with larger class sizes. This efficiency makes Latta a potential model for other schools in the region facing similar challenges.
Thank you for your feedback!