Summary:
There are three elementary schools serving grades Pre-K through 5th grade in zip code 29303 in Spartanburg, SC, spanning two districts: Spartanburg 06 and Spartanburg 07, with a combined enrollment of roughly 1,662 students.
Fairforest Elementary is the clear standout in this area. It is the largest school with 805 students and earns a 3-star rating, ranking in the 58th percentile statewide. Fairforest consistently outperforms its district and often the state in English Language Arts and math across grades 3-5, and its 4th grade science proficiency (55.2%) exceeds the state average by 3.6 points. It also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 16.6%, well below the state average of 22.3%. In contrast, The Cleveland Academy of Leadership has dropped from a 3-star to a 2-star rating over the past two years, now sitting at the 34th percentile. Despite spending the most per student at $18,773, its academic performance lags significantly behind district averages, especially in upper grades. Lone Oak Elementary is the smallest school with 336 students and shows the most academic struggles, but it is improving—jumping from the 22nd to the 37th percentile in one year, with strong gains in 4th grade ELA and 5th grade math.
Key takeaways for parents: spending does not correlate with performance, as Cleveland Academy spends $5,194 more per student than Fairforest yet achieves far lower results. Chronic absenteeism shows a clear inverse relationship with achievement—Fairforest has the lowest rate (16.6%) while Lone Oak has the highest (32.3%). Across all three schools, proficiency tends to decline from 3rd to 5th grade, particularly in math. Fairforest’s science program is a notable strength, and Lone Oak’s year-over-year improvement is encouraging despite its current challenges. District disparities within the same zip code highlight that school-level factors matter as much as district policies.
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