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Robert E. Howard Middle

Public Grades 6-8

Summary

Robert E. Howard Middle is a public middle school in Orangeburg, South Carolina, serving 413 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Orangeburg School District, which is ranked 66 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Over the past few years, Robert E. Howard Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom third of South Carolina middle schools, with a ranking between 264-300 out of around 320 schools.

Academically, Robert E. Howard Middle consistently underperforms compared to state and district averages on standardized tests, with only 33% to 42.4% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, and just 12.8% to 22% proficient in math, far below the state averages. The school also experiences high rates of chronic absenteeism, with 42.2% of students chronically absent in the 2023-2024 school year. Despite spending significantly more per student ($14,435 in 2023-2024) than the state average, the school's academic outcomes remain poor.

Interestingly, while Robert E. Howard Middle as a whole struggles, the school's African American students and students with disabilities perform relatively better compared to their peers at the school. Additionally, the two nearby schools, Carver Edisto Middle and William J. Clark Middle, also face similar academic and demographic challenges, suggesting that the issues at Robert E. Howard Middle may be systemic within the Orangeburg School District.

396

Students ?

15.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,620

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1255 Belleville Road
Orangeburg, SC 29115

(803) 534-5470

District: Orangeburg

Students who attend Robert E. Howard Middle usually attend:

High:

Orangeburg Wilkinson High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.6%

Hispanic:

5.3%

Two or more races:

4.0%

See top rated South Carolina public schools

Compare Robert E. Howard Middle to nearby schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 3rd percentile in 2022 → 17th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2022

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (30% vs 50% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 22% South Carolina)

!Science scores 24 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school30%

District avg30%

South Carolina avg50%

Not ranked this year

Robert E. Howard Middle did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

63^rd of 75Orangeburg 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	18.7	266 of 321	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.0	269 of 322	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.7	283 of 325	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.3	300 of 310	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	43.7	150 of 251	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.0	144 of 246	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.1	163 of 253	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.4	216 of 249	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	32.1	130 of 187	30.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	15.8	254 of 295	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	250 of 293	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	16.3	253 of 299	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	6.3	290 of 290	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	23.9	247 of 308	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.6	243 of 304	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	20.7	257 of 313	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.0	293 of 300	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	21.6	245 of 298	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.9	238 of 292	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.6	268 of 303	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.0	265 of 292	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2025)40th percentile+23 vs school

Disabled (2023)30th percentile+18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)20th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)18th percentile~ school

Female (2025)14th percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 292%+18 vs state

English Language Arts39%-17 vs state

Science24%-24 vs state

Mathematics18%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Robert E. Howard 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)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2026)	EOCEP Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (2026)	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution (2026)	EOCEP English 2 (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 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	EOCEP Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 End of Course	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution End of Course	EOCEP English 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
Felton Laboratory Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	115 Lance Street	Orangeburg	29116	Orangeburg County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 536-7034	279	13	20.8	100.0%	2 (0.7%)	238 (85.3%)	9 (3.2%)	15 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.4%)	31.6	447^th of 661 public elementary schools	32.4%		31.3	438^th of 639 public elementary schools	31.5%	9	39.3	65.5	39.5	72.4	57.2	47.2	57.1	24.1	23.7		28.6	25.0	41.4	41.4					$14,208	$1,309	$1,231	$2,540	$8,179	$3,489	$11,668
Whittaker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	790 Whittaker Parkway	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-6559	325	21	15.4	100.0%	7 (2.2%)	289 (88.9%)	22 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	25.7	491^st of 661 public elementary schools	25.7%		21.1	522^nd of 639 public elementary schools	18.3%	31	50.0	51.1	51.1				40.0	37.8	44.5				33.4						$14,485	$1,758	$1,059	$2,816	$9,720	$1,948	$11,668
Brookdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	394 Brookdale Drive	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-5982	215	16	13.2	100.0%	6 (2.8%)	185 (86.0%)	18 (8.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	24.3	507^th of 661 public elementary schools	23.3%		21.6	517^th of 639 public elementary schools	19.1%	10	41.9	50.0	32.1				51.7	34.4	46.4				37.6						$17,461	$1,557	$1,271	$2,827	$12,681	$1,953	$14,634
William J. Clark Middle	Public	6-8	919 Bennett Avenue	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 531-2200	587	45	13.0	100.0%	19 (3.2%)	514 (87.6%)	29 (4.9%)	10 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	13 (2.2%)	9	325^th of 341 public middle schools	4.7%		10.5	304^th of 321 public middle schools	5.3%	21				27.9	37.3	41.0				8.5	14.2	16.6		22.7					$15,460	$1,198	$1,075	$2,273	$11,363	$1,825	$13,187
Orangeburg Wilkinson High	Public	9-12	601 Bruin Parkway	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 534-6180	992	60	16.5	100.0%	20 (2.0%)	903 (91.0%)	47 (4.7%)	7 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (1.3%)	7	238^th of 248 public high schools	4.0%		5.3	231^st of 240 public high schools	3.8%	7															23.6	25.8	21.6	72.4	$17,547	$1,137	$2,786	$3,923	$11,413	$2,212	$13,624
Marshall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1441 Marshall Street	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-7865	625	39	16.1	100.0%	13 (2.1%)	557 (89.1%)	21 (3.4%)	15 (2.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.4%)	14.4	593^rd of 661 public elementary schools	10.3%		15.2	563^rd of 639 public elementary schools	11.9%	30	41.9	49.4	37.0				38.1	28.3	26.1				37.1						$13,038	$1,084	$1,111	$2,195	$9,302	$1,541	$10,843
Mellichamp Elementary	Public	3-5	350 Murray Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-8044	144	14	10.0	100.0%	9 (6.3%)	123 (85.4%)	9 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	4.6	654^th of 661 public elementary schools	1.1%		5.1	631^st of 639 public elementary schools	1.3%	23	34.2	40.4	17.8				15.8	23.4	11.1				21.3						$25,614	$4,008	$1,991	$5,999	$16,849	$2,766	$19,615
The Orangeburg Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	3720 Magnolia Street	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg 81	No	No	No	No	(803) 536-4473	0	13	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Orangeburg High School for Health Professions	Public, Charter	9-12	130 Howard Hill Drive	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Limestone Charters Association	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 535-1693	492	26	18.9	0.7%	4 (0.8%)	460 (93.5%)	4 (0.8%)	17 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	62.3	95^th of 248 public high schools	61.7%		53.7	96^th of 240 public high schools	60.0%	1																63.0	63.0	86.5	$12,899	$1,461	$429	$1,889	$7,424	$3,586	$11,010
Sheridan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1139 Hillsboro Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-7504	450	32	13.8	100.0%	11 (2.4%)	380 (84.4%)	35 (7.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	16 (3.6%)	14.1	596^th of 661 public elementary schools	9.8%		11.2	591^st of 639 public elementary schools	7.5%	5	45.3	43.8	28.3				28.0	50.0	20.8				29.1						$14,393	$1,569	$1,337	$2,906	$9,878	$1,609	$11,487

Frequently Asked Questions about Robert E. Howard Middle

What is the racial makeup of Robert E. Howard Middle?

Students at Robert E. Howard Middle are 89% African American, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% White.

How many students attend Robert E. Howard Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 396 students attended Robert E. Howard Middle.

What district is Robert E. Howard Middle in?

Orangeburg

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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.