Summary:
Zip code 29334 in Duncan, South Carolina, is served by two public middle schools, Florence Chapel Middle and Beech Springs Middle, both covering grades 6-8 within the highly-ranked Spartanburg 05 district, which places in the top 16% of districts statewide.
For families prioritizing academic rigor, Florence Chapel Middle is the clear standout. It holds a 4-star rating and ranks 86th out of 335 middle schools in South Carolina, outperforming Beech Springs Middle (3-star, ranked 122nd) in most subjects. Florence Chapel leads in 6th and 7th grade ELA by roughly 7-9 percentage points and in 6th grade science by nearly 12 points. Its most impressive achievement is in advanced math: a 96.25% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 EOCEP exam, which is more than 22 points above both the district and state averages. However, Beech Springs Middle offers a more personalized environment with a lower student-teacher ratio (11.4 vs. 13.3) and slightly higher per-student spending ($12,494 vs. $12,237). Beech Springs also edges out Florence Chapel in 8th grade ELA (64.2% vs. 63.2%) and 6th grade math (45.5% vs. 43.9%), showing competitive strength in specific areas.
Both schools manage attendance well, with chronic absenteeism rates (17.1% for Florence Chapel, 15.6% for Beech Springs in 2023-2024) below the state average of 22.3%. Notably, both schools post their strongest math scores in 8th grade, with Florence Chapel exceeding the state average by 8 points. While Florence Chapel shows some year-over-year volatility in math—including a remarkable 12.2-point jump in 7th grade—its overall consistency and exceptional Algebra program make it the top choice for academically ambitious families. Beech Springs, despite fewer resources per student in terms of class size, remains a solid option, particularly for families seeking a smaller school community or those whose children thrive in upper-grade ELA. Together, these schools provide two quality choices within a top-tier district.
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