Summary:
Zip code 29040, encompassing the Dalzell area of South Carolina, is served by a single middle school, Hillcrest Middle, which educates students in grades 6 through 8 within the Sumter 01 school district.
For parents considering this area, Hillcrest Middle presents a mixed picture of notable strengths and significant challenges. The school’s most impressive achievement is a perfect 100% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 EOCEP exam, far exceeding both district and state averages, indicating that its top-tier math students receive exceptional instruction. Additionally, the school showed strong year-over-year growth in 8th-grade math, jumping from 25.4% to 39.2% proficiency. With a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 14.6 and per-student spending of $13,183, the school has resources to support learning. However, the school’s overall state ranking has slipped from 192nd to a projected 237th, and it struggles with grade-level proficiency, particularly in math, where 6th-grade proficiency sits at just 22.1%. English Language Arts scores are stronger, ranging from 33.6% to 52.4% across grades, but still trail state averages.
The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 36.5%—significantly higher than the state average of 22.3%. This likely explains the disconnect between the advanced math success and lower overall scores, as the high-achieving students in accelerated courses may represent a smaller, more consistently present group. While Hillcrest Middle outperforms its district in most subjects, the high absenteeism rate and wide gap between advanced and grade-level math proficiency suggest the school’s future success depends on extending its advanced-course strategies to the broader student body and improving attendance across all groups.
Thank you for your feedback!