Summary:
Zip code 29111 (New Zion, South Carolina) is served by a single elementary school, Walker-Gamble Elementary, which enrolls 547 students in grades PK through 5 within the Clarendon 06 district.
Walker-Gamble Elementary is a clear academic standout within its district, consistently outperforming Clarendon 06 across nearly every subject and grade level. In the most recent school year, the school posted a 22.4 percentage point advantage over the district in 5th grade math (60.7% vs. 38.3% proficiency) and an 18.6 point advantage in 4th grade science (57.9% vs. 39.3%). The school also meets or exceeds state averages in most subjects, with particularly strong upper-grade ELA performance—5th grade reading proficiency reached 71.9%, outpacing the state by 8.3 points. However, the school's state ranking has declined over three years, from 108th (4 stars) to 200th (3 stars) out of roughly 640 schools, even as absolute scores remain respectable. This suggests other schools across South Carolina are improving at a faster pace.
Key metrics show a chronic absenteeism rate of 22.8%, nearly identical to the state average (22.3%) and well below the district's 29.4%. Per-student spending is substantial at $17,563, with a favorable 16:1 student-to-teacher ratio. One area to watch is 3rd grade math, which dropped sharply from 78% to 62.6% proficiency year-over-year—likely reflecting a different cohort of students. For families in New Zion, Walker-Gamble Elementary is the only public elementary option, making its strong academic performance and effective math and literacy programming particularly valuable to the community.
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