Summary:
Zip code 29325 in Clinton, SC is home to two elementary schools—Eastside Elementary and Clinton Elementary—both serving grades K-5 within the Laurens 56 school district, which holds a 2-star rating and ranks 44th out of 75 districts in South Carolina.
These two schools present a stark contrast in performance. Eastside Elementary is the clear standout, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 73rd percentile statewide for 2025-2026. It has improved steadily over three years, climbing from the 54th to the 73rd percentile, and now beats the state average in all seven tested areas—including a remarkable 76% proficiency in 3rd-grade ELA and 59.5% in 4th-grade math. In contrast, Clinton Elementary has plummeted from a 3-star rating (52nd percentile) to a 1-star rating (18th percentile) in just two years. The achievement gap is enormous: in 4th-grade math, Eastside's proficiency rate (59.5%) is nearly triple Clinton's (20.6%), and Clinton also falls far below district and state averages in most subjects, with particularly alarming scores in 4th-grade math and science.
Interestingly, spending and class sizes do not explain the disparity. Clinton Elementary actually spends slightly more per student ($14,827 vs. $14,193) and has a marginally better student-teacher ratio (14.5:1 vs. 14.9:1) than Eastside Elementary. Both schools face chronic absenteeism challenges, with rates of 19% at Eastside and 15.9% at Clinton—below the state average of 22.3% but still meaning roughly one in five or six students miss significant school time. For parents, the choice is clear: Eastside offers strong, consistent instruction across all grade levels and subjects, while Clinton shows volatility and steep declines that warrant concern. District leaders may want to study Eastside's successful practices, particularly in math, to help reverse Clinton's downward trajectory.
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