Summary:
Zip code 29153 in Sumter, SC, is served by four schools within the Sumter 01 district, which ranks in the bottom 11% of South Carolina districts, and includes one high school, two middle schools, and one PK-8 school, totaling roughly 2,187 students.
For parents, the standout school here is Crestwood High, which shows the most positive momentum. It improved its state ranking from the 9th to the 24th percentile in one year, boasts the highest single test score in the zip code (70.75% English 2 proficiency), and has a dropout rate (1.4%) that is actually better than the state average. In contrast, R. E. Davis College Preparatory Academy is the most concerning, ranking in the 2nd percentile among elementary schools despite spending the most per student ($18,431). Among the middle schools, Ebenezer Middle consistently outperforms Chestnut Oaks Middle across nearly every metric, including 6th grade ELA (34.4% vs. 19.4%) and 6th grade math (18.8% vs. 6.5%).
The biggest systemic issue is chronic absenteeism, which is dramatically above the state average (22.3%) at every school—Chestnut Oaks leads at 46.4%, followed by R. E. Davis at 42.7%. This likely drives the severe math proficiency gaps, where even the best middle school (Ebenezer) only reaches 20.8% proficiency in 7th grade math, less than half the state average. However, there are bright spots: R. E. Davis shows a remarkable 8th grade math proficiency of 40%, exceeding the district average, and Crestwood High posted a 14.4-point gain in English 1 proficiency year-over-year. These pockets of success suggest targeted interventions can work, even in a district facing deep-rooted challenges.
Thank you for your feedback!