North District Middle

North District Middle in Varnville, SC, is a small school serving 239 students in grades 7 and 8 within the Hampton district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. This school is in the middle of a positive transformation, showing steady improvement in state rankings over the past few years—climbing from the 32nd percentile to its current 41st percentile—while also making dramatic strides in getting kids to school every day.

One of the most impressive things about this school is its standout Algebra 1 program. In 2023-2024, students scored a remarkable 90.49% proficiency on the Algebra 1 end-of-course exam—nearly double the district average and 18 points above the state average. That’s a huge win for a school where standard math proficiency is still a work in progress (around 30% in both 7th and 8th grades). The school also shines in English Language Arts: 7th graders hit 62.8% proficiency, beating both the district and state averages, and 8th graders (50.4%) outperform the district too. Chronic absenteeism has plummeted from a crisis-level 49.7% in 2022-2023 down to 22.4%—now right at the state average—which likely explains much of the academic gains. The school also spends more per student than the state average ($16,781) and keeps class sizes small with a 13.4:1 student-teacher ratio.

Compared to nearby schools, Estill Middle (same district, 10 miles away) and Allendale-Fairfax Middle (15 miles away), North District is clearly the stronger choice. It ranks 199th statewide versus Estill’s 286th and Allendale-Fairfax’s 255th. In 8th grade ELA, North District’s 50.4% proficiency is nearly double Estill’s 25.8%, and its chronic absenteeism is dramatically better than Allendale-Fairfax’s 38.8%. Even though Allendale spends over $6,000 more per student, North District achieves better results—a sign of smart resource use. The main area to watch is standard math proficiency, which still trails state averages, but the school’s rapid improvement suggests it’s on the right track.