Summary:
Zip code 29307 in Spartanburg, SC is served by two public middle schools—McCracken Middle and Clifdale Middle—which together educate 1,542 students in grades 6-8 across two different districts, Spartanburg 07 and Spartanburg 03.
These two schools offer distinct profiles for families. McCracken Middle is the larger, more established option with 937 students and a 3-star rating that has remained remarkably stable over three years, consistently ranking in the 66th-69th percentile statewide. It also outperforms its own district by significant margins—for example, 8th-grade math proficiency is 51.0% versus the district's 42.8%. In contrast, Clifdale Middle is the rising star, jumping from the 55th to the 72nd percentile in a single year and earning a 4-star rating. Clifdale now leads in most 6th-grade subjects, with 68.0% ELA proficiency and 55.2% math proficiency, while McCracken counters with stronger 7th-grade math (48.3% vs. 43.4%). By 8th grade, the two schools are nearly tied in both ELA and math, suggesting both effectively prepare students for high school.
A standout achievement for both schools is a perfect 100% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 End of Course exam, far exceeding the state average of 73.95%. However, both also face a shared challenge: chronic absenteeism rates (26.9% at McCracken, 28.0% at Clifdale) exceed the state average of 22.3%, indicating room for even better outcomes. McCracken spends $562 more per student and has a better student-teacher ratio (11.7:1 vs. 13.4:1), yet Clifdale achieves comparable or better results in most subjects, suggesting greater efficiency. Overall, families in 29307 have access to two above-average schools—one known for consistency and district-leading performance, the other for rapid improvement and strong district alignment.
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