Summary:
Zip code 29032 (Cassatt, SC) is home to just one elementary school, Midway Elementary, a small rural school in the Kershaw 01 district serving grades PK-5 with 338 students.
Midway Elementary is the only option for elementary families in this area, and its performance tells a story of significant challenges. The school's state ranking has dropped from the 26th percentile to the 15th percentile over the past two years, indicating it is falling further behind other schools in South Carolina. The most pressing concern is mathematics, where proficiency rates are dramatically below state averages—only 24.6% of 3rd graders, 31.7% of 4th graders, and 27.0% of 5th graders are proficient in math, compared to state averages of 59.2%, 52.3%, and 49.1% respectively. English Language Arts shows a mixed picture: 5th grade improved remarkably from 25% to 54% proficiency in one year, but 3rd grade lags 20 points behind the state average at 43.9%. Science proficiency in 4th grade also declined sharply from 48.8% to 39.0%.
Beyond academics, chronic absenteeism is a major red flag—29.3% of students are chronically absent, well above the district (21.0%) and state (22.3%) averages. The school spends $15,712 per student, which is above average, yet outcomes do not reflect that investment. With a student-teacher ratio of 15.3:1, class sizes are reasonable, but the combination of high absenteeism, weak math foundations, and declining state rankings suggests families should be aware that this school is struggling to keep pace. The 5th grade ELA turnaround offers a glimmer of hope, but the overall trajectory is concerning, and parents considering this school should weigh these factors carefully.
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