Best Public Schools in Zip Code 29356

Zip code 29356 in Landrum, South Carolina, is served by two public schools within the Spartanburg 01 district, covering grades PK-8 with a combined enrollment of 642 students, though no high school is located within the zip code itself.

Landrum Middle is the clear academic standout in this area, consistently outperforming both district and state averages across nearly every subject and grade level. The school has improved its state ranking from 87th to 64th over the past two years and maintains a 4-star rating. Its 7th grade English Language Arts proficiency rate of 70.2% and 6th grade science proficiency of 70.4% are particularly impressive, exceeding state averages by more than 10 points. In contrast, O. P. Earle Elementary has seen its state ranking decline from the 58th to the 37th percentile over the same period, with mathematics being a notable weakness—especially in 4th grade, where only 32.8% of students are proficient compared to the state average of 52.3%.

The most striking finding is the dramatic difference in chronic absenteeism between the two schools. O. P. Earle Elementary boasts an exceptionally low rate of just 0.7%, far below the district average of 19.5%, while Landrum Middle's rate of 25.4% exceeds both district and state averages. This suggests a significant shift in student engagement between elementary and middle school years. Both schools maintain excellent student-teacher ratios around 12:1, and Landrum Middle receives approximately $1,320 more per student in funding. For parents, this area offers a strong middle school experience but raises questions about elementary math instruction and the attendance challenges that emerge at the middle school level. The absence of a local high school also means students will need to transition to a school outside the immediate area for 9th grade.