Schools in Zip Code 29118

Zip code 29118 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, is served by three schools—one elementary school and two high schools—with a combined enrollment of 2,109 students across two different districts: the Orangeburg district and the Limestone Charters Association.

The standout school in this area is Orangeburg High School for Health Professions, a charter school that dramatically outperforms its traditional public counterpart. It ranks 94th in the state (62nd percentile) with a 100% graduation rate, a 0% dropout rate, and chronic absenteeism of just 9.9%—less than half the state average. In contrast, Orangeburg Wilkinson High ranks 236th of 245 high schools (4th percentile) with a 72.7% graduation rate and a staggering 43.7% chronic absenteeism rate. The charter school also outperforms Wilkinson by 27+ percentage points on English 1 and U.S. History exams, despite spending $4,648 less per student. Marshall Elementary sits in the middle, ranking 583rd of 649 elementary schools (10th percentile) with a 17.2% chronic absenteeism rate, though it shows slight improvement over two years.

Key takeaways for parents: spending does not equal results—Wilkinson spends the most ($17,547 per student) yet achieves the worst outcomes. Elementary math is a critical weakness, with proficiency declining from 38.1% in 3rd grade to 26.1% in 5th grade at Marshall, which likely feeds into Wilkinson's low Algebra 1 scores (23.6% proficient). Chronic absenteeism strongly correlates with performance across all three schools. Both high schools show a puzzling jump in English 2 proficiency compared to English 1, suggesting different student populations or effective interventions. Wilkinson's Algebra 1 scores also swung wildly from 57.5% to 23.6% in one year, indicating instability. For families, the charter school offers a clearly superior educational experience, while the traditional public schools face significant challenges around attendance and foundational math skills.