Summary:
Zip code 29180 in Winnsboro, South Carolina, is served by three elementary schools—Fairfield Elementary, Kelly Miller Elementary, and Fairfield Magnet for Math and Science—all part of the Fairfield 01 district, which collectively enroll about 805 students across grades PK through 6.
These three schools offer vastly different educational experiences. Fairfield Magnet for Math and Science is the clear standout, ranking in the top 4% of elementary schools statewide with a 5-star rating. Its students dramatically outperform peers at the other two schools—for example, 88.5% of its 3rd graders are proficient in English Language Arts compared to 81% at Kelly Miller Elementary and just 46% at Fairfield Elementary. The magnet school also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (6.1%) and the most favorable student-teacher ratio (9.4:1). Kelly Miller Elementary is a rising star, showing significant improvement in its state ranking over the past two years and posting an impressive 81% proficiency rate in 3rd grade ELA. However, Fairfield Elementary, the largest school in the zip code, is struggling badly—ranking in the bottom 4% of schools statewide with a 0-star rating and showing declining proficiency as students advance through grade levels.
For parents, the key takeaway is that school choice within this zip code matters enormously. The magnet school offers an elite education with exceptional results across all subjects, particularly in science where its 6th graders achieve 79.4% proficiency versus just 17% at Fairfield Elementary. While Kelly Miller Elementary shows promise, particularly in early literacy, Fairfield Elementary faces serious challenges with chronic absenteeism (22.4%) and compounding learning gaps. The Fairfield 01 district has a stark two-tier problem, with a 94-percentile spread between its best and worst performing elementary schools, raising important questions about equity and access to the magnet program.
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