Summary:
Zip code 29102 in Manning, SC is served by a single middle school, Manning Junior High, which enrolls 483 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Clarendon 06 school district.
For parents considering this area, Manning Junior High presents a mixed picture. The school's greatest strength is English Language Arts (ELA), where proficiency rates are close to state averages across all grades—for example, 8th grade ELA sits at 51.1% compared to the state's 58.9%. However, mathematics is a critical weakness, with 7th grade math proficiency at just 15.2%, a staggering 26.6 points below the state average. Even the school's best math result (8th grade at 38.3%) trails the state by nearly 6 points. The school also spends a substantial $14,200 per student, yet this investment has not translated into proportional academic gains. A major red flag is chronic absenteeism: 35.3% of students are chronically absent, far exceeding the district's 29.4% and the state's 22.3%. This likely hampers learning, especially in cumulative subjects like math.
There are some encouraging signs. The school's state ranking improved from the 29th to 31st percentile, and it regained a 2-star rating. Year-over-year, 6th grade ELA jumped 12.2 points and 8th grade math soared 14.6 points, suggesting targeted efforts may be working. However, 7th grade math dropped 7.2 points, and performance is inconsistent across grade levels, indicating that individual cohorts or teachers may have outsized impacts. For parents, the priority should be understanding the math support available and addressing attendance challenges. While ELA is competitive, the combination of high spending, low math scores, and severe absenteeism means Manning Junior High requires careful consideration and proactive engagement with the school to ensure your child's needs are met.
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