Summary:
Zip code 29058 is home to a single school, Heath Springs Elementary, a small rural school serving grades PK through 5 with 297 students in the Lancaster 01 district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Heath Springs Elementary is a school on a clear upward trajectory, but with a significant challenge in its upper grades. The school has improved its state ranking dramatically over the past three years, jumping from the 27th percentile to the 56th percentile, now earning a 3-star rating. This improvement is backed by strong early-grade performance: 3rd-grade math proficiency (73.3%) and 4th-grade science (54.8%) both beat state averages. The school also maintains a favorable 13.2:1 student-teacher ratio and spends a substantial $16,355 per student, while its chronic absenteeism rate (18.7%) is better than both district and state averages.
However, the school faces a notable "5th-grade cliff." While 3rd and 4th graders perform well, 5th-grade proficiency drops sharply—math falls to just 41.6% and ELA to 50.1%, both well below state averages. This pattern suggests a difficult transition to more complex material or a gap in support during the later elementary years. The year-over-year data shows volatility, but also improvement in previously weak areas, like 5th-grade ELA jumping from 31% to 50.1%. The school's high spending and low class sizes haven't yet translated into consistent upper-grade success, indicating resources may not be optimally targeted. Overall, this is a school with strong foundations and a positive trend, but parents should be aware that the 5th-grade experience may require extra attention and advocacy.
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