Palmetto Middle

Palmetto Middle in Mullins, SC, serves 297 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Marion 10 school district, a high-poverty area where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Palmetto Middle faces significant academic challenges, particularly in mathematics. In the most recent school year, math proficiency rates ranged from just 9.2% in 6th grade to 20.6% in 8th grade—roughly half the already-low district average and less than a quarter of the state average. This creates a stark contrast with nearby schools just 13-16 miles away: Aynor Middle and Latta Middle post math proficiency rates of 45-50% in the same grades. English Language Arts (ELA) scores are a relative bright spot, with 8th-grade proficiency climbing steadily from 27.9% to 40.2% over three years—actually exceeding the district average, though still below the state's 58.9%. Chronic absenteeism sits at 25.8%, which is better than the district average of 31.1% but higher than the state's 22.3%, and the rate has swung dramatically from 38.9% to 18.1% in consecutive years.

One of the most striking findings is the spending paradox: Palmetto Middle spends $16,769 per student—more than Aynor Middle ($13,420) and nearly double Latta Middle ($8,512)—yet those schools achieve far better results. This suggests financial investment alone isn't solving the deep challenges. There are pockets of strength: the school ranks in the 34th percentile statewide for serving disabled students, a notable outlier compared to its other bottom-10th-percentile rankings. However, the overall picture shows a school struggling against systemic obstacles, with volatile year-to-year progress making it difficult to gauge the impact of any single intervention. For parents, this means understanding that while the school is working on improvements, particularly in literacy, the math achievement gap with neighboring districts remains a serious concern.