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Saluda Trail Middle

Q: Is Saluda Trail Middle a good school?

Saluda Trail Middle ranks 192 nd of 341 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

192^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 341 South Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 44% of South Carolina middle schools

Summary

Saluda Trail Middle is a public school in Rock Hill, SC, serving 751 students in grades 6 through 8 as part of the York 03 school district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

If your child has a strong aptitude for math, Saluda Trail has a standout program. In the most recent school year, 96.43% of students taking the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam scored proficient—far exceeding the district average of 77.16% and the state average of 73.95%. This is a consistent strength, with similar results the prior year. The school also does exceptionally well supporting Hispanic students, who ranked in the 91st percentile statewide two years ago. However, this advanced math success tells only part of the story. In standard math classes, proficiency rates are much lower—ranging from 29% in 6th grade to 43.5% in 8th grade—with 6th and 7th graders lagging behind district and state averages. This suggests the school excels at pushing top students into advanced coursework but may struggle to bring all students to grade-level mastery. English Language Arts performance is more balanced, with 7th and 8th graders outpacing the district average.

Compared to nearby York 04 schools like Gold Hill Middle or Forest Creek Middle, where ELA proficiency reaches 85-90%, Saluda Trail's 45-56% range reflects a significant achievement gap driven largely by socioeconomic factors. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism has dropped dramatically from 34.7% to 12.9%—well below the state average of 22.3%—and the school spends a robust $15,224 per student, among the highest in the area. Still, test scores have been volatile year to year, and recent declines in performance for African American students and other subgroups suggest the school's investments haven't yet produced consistent gains across all demographics.

751

Students ?

13.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,224

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2300 Saluda Road
Rock Hill, SC 29730

(803) 981-1800

District: York 03

Students who attend Saluda Trail Middle usually attend:

High:

South Pointe High

Feeder schools for Saluda Trail Middle:

Elementary:	Mount Holly Elementary
	Oakdale Elementary
	Sunset Park Center for Accelerated Studies

Racial breakdown:

African American:

56.6%

White:

28.9%

Hispanic:

7.9%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare Saluda Trail Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 59th percentile in 2018 → 44th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (44% vs 51% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 59th-percentile peak (2018) to 44th (2026)

!Science scores 11 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school44%

District avg45%

South Carolina avg51%

192^nd of 341

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 44%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 36% (2016) to bottom 44% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5Middle Schools in the York 03

30^th of 75York 03 among South Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.8	192 of 341	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.1	150 of 321	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.2	161 of 322	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.1	154 of 325	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.6	145 of 310	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	46.1	153 of 311	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.6	172 of 315	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.9	123 of 303	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.5	146 of 317	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	39.7	195 of 303	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2015	45.9	158 of 301	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.0	170 of 291	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	49.0	149 of 276	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	59.3	123 of 271	54.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	56.8	132 of 269	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2010	53.5	140 of 261	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	49.8	144 of 249	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	51.2	136 of 244	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2007	56.9	119 of 236	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2006	69.2	78 of 231	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	61.5	98 of 230	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	67.0	86 of 230	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2003	60.7	96 of 225	57.3%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	53.6	106 of 258	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.2	50 of 251	80.1%	★★★★☆
2024	63.4	58 of 246	76.4%	★★★★☆
2023	61.0	73 of 253	71.1%	★★★★☆
2022	58.6	75 of 249	69.9%	★★★★☆
2021	49.9	104 of 235	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.9	129 of 252	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	59.8	68 of 237	71.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	121 of 192	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.4	92 of 184	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.2	58 of 177	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.7	40 of 187	78.6%	★★★★☆
2022	52.5	73 of 183	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.1	28 of 164	82.9%	★★★★☆
2019	42.8	101 of 195	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.1	122 of 194	37.1%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.7	187 of 310	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	53.1	122 of 295	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	143 of 293	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.5	138 of 299	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.0	128 of 290	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.0	134 of 279	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.6	169 of 296	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.5	124 of 281	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.7	138 of 197	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	58.6	87 of 173	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.7	95 of 184	48.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.5	89 of 185	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.8	106 of 182	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.2	107 of 179	40.2%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.4	46 of 159	71.1%	★★★★☆
2024	84.5	13 of 144	91.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.6	196 of 325	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.0	148 of 308	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.6	164 of 304	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.1	165 of 313	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.0	157 of 300	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.1	173 of 288	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.0	171 of 289	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.7	106 of 280	62.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.7	175 of 310	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.8	163 of 298	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.2	154 of 292	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.5	146 of 303	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.4	146 of 292	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.3	147 of 279	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.2	158 of 296	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.9	115 of 284	59.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	172 of 271	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.5	129 of 259	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.2	131 of 256	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.4	116 of 260	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.9	106 of 249	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.6	96 of 244	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.7	101 of 258	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.1	74 of 250	70.4%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2026)71st percentile+27 vs school

African American (2026)59th percentile+15 vs school

Male (2026)44th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)40th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)40th percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2026)37th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)37th percentile-7 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)30th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts53%-5 vs state

Science41%-11 vs state

Mathematics37%-6 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Sunday, March 1, 2020

This review is written for graduating teachers, teachers new to the area, and parents considering STMS as a school of choice. Please pause. Read this, and think carefully before you commit or apply at this school. If you think of the lost city of Atlantis, Saluda Trail Middle School is this in that it was a great school four and five years ago. Under current leadership, it has sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

The promise of a STEAM education is broken. This school’s strength has always been its teachers. Its related arts teachers are some of the best, and they have given everything to this school along with its academic teachers. Saluda Trail is not worth your mental or physical health, or your child’s physical or mental health. The school has tossed more under the rug from student fights to how they’re handled to the fact the kids run the school. Students get away with almost everything from how they mouth off at each other and teachers, and mild to more extreme physical violence. Parents and students hold sway over an administration that gives an excuse to the students’ struggles rather than effectively addressing issues.

This falls at the doorstep of administration not the teachers or the students. Before four to five years ago, Saluda Trail had held onto some of the best teachers in the state. These are teachers who understand classroom management and how to engage students in twenty-first century learning. They are told to examine data, but then leaders are unwilling to examine the true reasons behind the data, including student behavior. Leadership can lay students’ reactions and actions in the teacher’s classroom all it wants, and say, “Have better classroom management.”

Until the entire administration looks in the mirror and Dr. Cook realizes the devastation being caused by current leadership, Saluda Trail will stay at the bottom of the ocean. The school will continue to bleed the excellent teachers the leadership takes for granted. The school will continue to receive a degrading reputation through talk even as the school sweeps fights under the rug. Administration has its favorites, and the rest will go unnoticed or will be silenced while they’re stuck. Save your health. Save your contract. Save your child. Save your family because good teachers’ mental and physical health will take a toll on your family, too. Just like the game, Monopoly, says on the board, “Do not pass go.” If you pass go, you will find yourself needing more than prayers. Close Quote

Schools Near Saluda Trail Middle

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)			SC READY Mathematics (2026)			SC READY Science (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2024)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Saluda Trail Middle	Public	6-8	2300 Saluda Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1800	751	54	13.9	100.0%	217 (28.9%)	425 (56.6%)	59 (7.9%)	7 (0.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (5.5%)	41.8	192^nd of 341 public middle schools	43.7%		48.1	150^th of 321 public middle schools	53.3%	42	45.6	55.8	56.4	29.0	35.4	43.5	41.0	$15,224	$590	$862	$1,452	$11,818	$1,954	$13,772
Castle Heights Middle	Public	6-8	2382 Firetower Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1400	669	48	13.9	100.0%	257 (38.4%)	205 (30.6%)	104 (15.5%)	12 (1.8%)	26 (3.9%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (9.6%)	39.1	207^th of 341 public middle schools	39.3%		42.2	176^th of 321 public middle schools	45.2%	31	44.9	54.4	44.1	38.3	37.4	38.2	45.1	$15,533	$610	$770	$1,380	$12,358	$1,795	$14,153
Rawlinson Road Middle	Public	6-8	2631 West Main Street	Rock Hill	29732	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1500	644	48	13.4	100.0%	196 (30.4%)	314 (48.8%)	97 (15.1%)	7 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (4.3%)	42.4	188^th of 341 public middle schools	44.9%		34	209^th of 321 public middle schools	34.9%	21	57.5	44.9	37.6	35.8	40.6	30.2	58.8	$15,600	$514	$882	$1,395	$12,472	$1,733	$14,205
W. C. Sullivan Middle	Public	6-8	1825 Eden Terrace	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1450	827	64	12.9	62.2%	337 (40.7%)	229 (27.7%)	200 (24.2%)	17 (2.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.1%)	46.4	170^th of 341 public middle schools	50.1%		52.7	132^nd of 321 public middle schools	58.9%	38	54.3	56.1	55.5	34.7	39.2	39.4	45.2	$15,281	$381	$801	$1,183	$12,364	$1,734	$14,098
Dutchman Creek Middle	Public	6-8	4757 Mount Gallant Road	Rock Hill	29732	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 985-1700	856	54	15.8	53.5%	378 (44.2%)	310 (36.2%)	100 (11.7%)	23 (2.7%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (4.9%)	49.8	160^th of 341 public middle schools	53.1%		55.7	127^th of 321 public middle schools	60.4%	33	52.1	50.0	58.4	37.5	43.8	49.5	44.8	$14,242	$426	$834	$1,260	$11,380	$1,602	$12,982
Banks Trail Middle	Public	6-8	1640 Banks Road	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 578-2990	638	52	12.2	36.7%	378 (59.2%)	84 (13.2%)	62 (9.7%)	61 (9.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.2%)	91.1	23^rd of 341 public middle schools	93.3%		92.7	20^th of 321 public middle schools	93.8%	3	74.8	73.5	78.5	61.5	66.7	75.0	74.7	$14,056	$745	$402	$1,147	$11,275	$1,634	$12,909
Forest Creek Middle	Public	6-8	2212 Whites Road	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 396-3450	757	56	13.5	11.8%	519 (68.6%)	64 (8.5%)	74 (9.8%)	59 (7.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.3%)	96.8	15^th of 341 public middle schools	95.6%		97.3	9^th of 321 public middle schools	97.2%	6	83.1	88.0	80.9	75.6	76.7	74.7	86.6	$13,272	$439	$347	$786	$10,921	$1,565	$12,486
Lewisville Middle	Public	6-8	3595 Lancaster Highway	Richburg	29729	Chester County	Chester 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 789-5858	295	22	13.4	100.0%	162 (54.9%)	81 (27.5%)	32 (10.8%)	3 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	14 (4.7%)	66.4	99^th of 341 public middle schools	71.0%		50.5	141^st of 321 public middle schools	56.1%	42	70.4	64.2	69.4	45.1	42.9	38.4	57.2	$13,663	$2,170	$769	$2,939	$8,297	$2,427	$10,724
Gold Hill Middle	Public	6-8	1025 Dave Gibson Boulevard	Tega Cay	29708	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 548-8300	877	62	14.1	10.3%	564 (64.3%)	43 (4.9%)	72 (8.2%)	152 (17.3%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (4.8%)	97.5	10^th of 341 public middle schools	97.1%		97.7	7^th of 321 public middle schools	97.8%	3	87.1	87.1	85.4	74.2	78.9	73.8	90.8	$11,731	$293	$357	$650	$9,773	$1,307	$11,080
Fort Mill Middle	Public	6-8	200 Springfield Parkway	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 547-5553	620	51	12.1	32.0%	365 (58.9%)	84 (13.5%)	85 (13.7%)	56 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.8%)	91.1	22^nd of 341 public middle schools	93.5%		93.6	17^th of 321 public middle schools	94.7%	5	73.1	77.1	79.5	64.0	65.3	76.5	69.8	$14,477	$421	$357	$778	$12,051	$1,648	$13,699

Frequently Asked Questions about Saluda Trail Middle

How many students attend Saluda Trail Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 751 students attended Saluda Trail Middle.

Is Saluda Trail Middle a good school?

Saluda Trail Middle ranks 192^nd of 341 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Saluda Trail Middle?

Students at Saluda Trail Middle are 57% African American, 29% White, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Saluda Trail Middle attend?

Students who attend Saluda Trail Middle usually go on to attend South Pointe High

What district is Saluda Trail Middle in?

York 03

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.