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Hillcrest Middle

Q: Is Hillcrest Middle a good school?

Hillcrest Middle ranks 192 nd of 320 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

192^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 320 South Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 40% of South Carolina middle schools

Summary

Hillcrest Middle is a public middle school located in Dalzell, South Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 391 students. The school is part of the Sumter 01 school district, which is ranked 67 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Hillcrest Middle has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past several years, dropping from a high of 121 out of 303 South Carolina middle schools in 2017-2018 to its current ranking of 192 out of 320 in 2024-2025.

Academically, Hillcrest Middle's performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is generally below the state and district averages, with the exception of Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2, where the school achieved a 100% proficiency rate compared to the state's 73.95%. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.5% to 38.4% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Hillcrest Middle has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 100% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Compared to nearby schools in the Sumter 01 district, such as Furman Middle, Bates Middle, Chestnut Oaks Middle, and Alice Drive Middle, Hillcrest Middle's academic performance is generally lower, despite these schools also having high percentages of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. However, the school's strong performance in Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 suggests that it may have the potential to replicate this success in other subject areas with the right interventions and support.

365

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,183

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4355 Peach Orchard Road
Dalzell, SC 29040

(803) 499-3341

District: Sumter 01

Students who attend Hillcrest Middle usually attend:

High:

Crestwood High

Feeder schools for Hillcrest Middle:

Elementary:	Cherryvale Elementary
	Rafting Creek Elementary

Racial breakdown:

African American:

52.3%

White:

30.4%

Hispanic:

10.4%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare Hillcrest Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 44th percentile in 2015 → 40th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (40% vs 50% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (36% vs 22% South Carolina)

!Mathematics scores 12 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg35%

South Carolina avg50%

192^nd of 320

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 44% (2015) to bottom 40% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 6Middle Schools in the Sumter 01

67^th of 75Sumter 01 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
2025	39.0	192 of 320	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.7	233 of 325	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.2	216 of 325	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	33.9	204 of 310	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.3	182 of 311	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.6	129 of 315	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.6	121 of 303	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	39.6	192 of 317	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	41.0	190 of 303	37.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	43.0	170 of 301	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.1	169 of 291	41.9%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	42.5	156 of 252	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.8	161 of 248	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	38.3	155 of 253	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.3	185 of 249	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	46.6	114 of 235	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	62.0	65 of 252	74.2%	★★★★☆
2018	70.2	39 of 237	83.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	37.9	184 of 295	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	25.9	218 of 294	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.9	202 of 299	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.5	205 of 290	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	33.1	182 of 279	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.5	147 of 296	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.9	128 of 281	54.4%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	42.3	135 of 183	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	37.7	137 of 185	25.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.1	154 of 182	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	20.5	161 of 179	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	29.9	229 of 307	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.8	260 of 307	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	238 of 313	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	31.9	203 of 300	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.2	202 of 288	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.1	142 of 289	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.1	127 of 280	54.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	37.6	184 of 296	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.0	201 of 294	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.3	200 of 303	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.3	185 of 292	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	42.6	150 of 279	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	59.9	104 of 296	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.2	112 of 284	60.6%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	54.5	7 of 13	46.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.4	11 of 13	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.6	11 of 12	8.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	41.7	6 of 11	45.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	54.9	108 of 257	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.5	184 of 255	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.4	156 of 260	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.7	174 of 249	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	35.6	157 of 244	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.9	100 of 258	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.0	128 of 250	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)

White (2025)58th percentile+18 vs school

Military Connected (2025)46th percentile+6 vs school

African American (2025)38th percentile~ school

Male (2025)38th percentile~ school

Female (2025)38th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2024)26th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)25th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2100%+26 vs state

English Language Arts54%-3 vs state

Science38%-10 vs state

Mathematics23%-12 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hillcrest Middle

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)			SC READY Mathematics (2025)			SC READY Science (2025)	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2025)	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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	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
Hillcrest Middle	Public	6-8	4355 Peach Orchard Road	Dalzell	29040	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 499-3341	365	25	14.6		111 (30.4%)	191 (52.3%)	38 (10.4%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	18 (4.9%)	39	192^nd of 320 public middle schools	40.0%		28.7	233^rd of 325 public middle schools	28.3%	41	53.8	57.2	50.8	20.2	23.9	25.4	38.5	100.0	$13,183	$1,020	$1,467	$2,487	$9,298	$1,399	$10,696
Ebenezer Middle	Public	6-8	3440 Ebenezer Road	Sumter	29153	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 469-8571	352	27	13.0		40 (11.4%)	278 (79.0%)	18 (5.1%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.4%)	15.6	274^th of 320 public middle schools	14.4%		14.3	288^th of 325 public middle schools	11.4%	14	35.9	34.2	36.4	20.2	12.2	9.0	34.9		$13,950	$1,095	$2,050	$3,145	$9,095	$1,710	$10,805
Alice Drive Middle	Public	6-8	40 Miller Road	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 775-0821	783	47	16.6		235 (30.0%)	439 (56.1%)	42 (5.4%)	25 (3.2%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (4.9%)	49.7	146^th of 320 public middle schools	54.4%		38.4	190^th of 325 public middle schools	41.5%	44	55.4	56.0	57.1	33.8	28.2	27.0	48.7	100.0	$12,758	$756	$1,028	$1,784	$9,615	$1,358	$10,974
Chestnut Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	1200 Oswego Road	Sumter	29153	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 775-7272	339	21	16.1		17 (5.0%)	276 (81.4%)	33 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	11 (3.2%)	6.5	315^th of 320 public middle schools	1.6%		6.6	323^rd of 325 public middle schools	0.6%	8	23.6	39.0	32.6	6.2	4.9	5.1	14.8		$16,083	$1,837	$2,270	$4,108	$9,158	$2,817	$11,975
Bates Middle	Public	6-8	715 Estate Street	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 775-0711	481	37	13.1		97 (20.2%)	334 (69.4%)	18 (3.7%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	25 (5.2%)	17.1	268^th of 320 public middle schools	16.3%		9.5	313^th of 325 public middle schools	3.7%	45	37.4	40.4	41.5	17.6	11.6	20.5	19.7	96.6	$14,974	$1,022	$1,459	$2,482	$10,488	$2,004	$12,493
Furman Middle	Public	6-8	3400 Bethel Church Road	Sumter	29154	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 481-8519	700	41	17.0		208 (29.7%)	406 (58.0%)	41 (5.9%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (5.4%)	14.3	282^nd of 320 public middle schools	11.9%		20.7	259^th of 325 public middle schools	20.3%	23	40.5	43.2	34.2	18.0	14.1	5.7	21.5	63.6	$12,528	$912	$1,128	$2,040	$8,574	$1,913	$10,488
Camden Middle	Public	6-8	902 McRae Road	Camden	29020	Kershaw County	Kershaw 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 425-8975	844	58	14.6		365 (43.2%)	299 (35.4%)	115 (13.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (7.2%)	44.2	169^th of 320 public middle schools	47.2%		42.7	175^th of 325 public middle schools	46.2%	6	45.1	56.4	48.9	34.3	32.4	23.2	50.9	88.1	$11,679	$818	$767	$1,585	$8,514	$1,581	$10,094
Lee Central Middle	Public	6-8	41 Charlene Lane	Bishopville	29010	Lee County	Lee 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 428-2100	288	28	10.2		23 (8.0%)	252 (87.5%)	10 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	8.8	307^th of 320 public middle schools	4.1%		8.6	317^th of 325 public middle schools	2.5%	10	26.6	39.6	25.9	15.0	7.3	6.7	21.6		$23,994	$1,531	$5,618	$7,149	$12,107	$4,738	$16,845
Lugoff-Elgin Middle	Public	6-8	1244 Highway 1 South	Lugoff	29078	Kershaw County	Kershaw 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 438-3591	649	46	14.1		412 (63.5%)	122 (18.8%)	45 (6.9%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (10.2%)	66.7	94^th of 320 public middle schools	70.6%		55.3	129^th of 325 public middle schools	60.3%	35	53.4	64.7	63.2	44.5	28.4	52.2	57.9	100.0	$14,199	$702	$839	$1,541	$10,836	$1,822	$12,658

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillcrest Middle

How many students attend Hillcrest Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 365 students attended Hillcrest Middle.

What district is Hillcrest Middle in?

Sumter 01

What is the racial makeup of Hillcrest Middle?

Students at Hillcrest Middle are 52% African American, 30% White, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Hillcrest Middle a good school?

Hillcrest Middle ranks 192^nd of 320 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Hillcrest Middle attend?

Students who attend Hillcrest Middle usually go on to attend Crestwood High

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Schools in Dalzell, SC

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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.