Summary:
Zip code 29479 is home to a single middle school, St. Stephen Middle, a small school serving 172 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Berkeley 01 school district.
St. Stephen Middle stands out for its substantial per-student spending of $23,473 and a favorable 10.7:1 student-teacher ratio, which supports smaller class sizes and more individualized attention. The school has shown a clear positive trajectory, improving its state ranking from 286th in 2023-2024 to 228th in 2025-2026, moving from the 12th to the 32nd percentile. The most dramatic progress came in mathematics, where proficiency rates nearly tripled in 8th grade (from 11.3% to 30.8%) and improved significantly across all grades. However, math remains the school's weakest subject, with proficiency ranging from 25.9% to 30.8%, compared to ELA scores between 40.3% and 55.1%. While 7th grade ELA nearly matches district averages, 8th grade ELA lags notably at 40.3% versus the district's 53.5% and state's 58.9%. Science performance is a relative strength, with 6th grade science only 5.1 percentage points behind the state average.
Despite these improvements, challenges remain. Chronic absenteeism sits at 24.5%, slightly above both the district (23.9%) and state (22.3%) averages, affecting roughly 42 students. The school's high spending has not yet translated into top-tier performance, ranking in the 32nd percentile statewide, though this may reflect recent investments that haven't fully materialized. The dramatic math gains suggest instructional interventions are working, and continued focus on 8th grade ELA and absenteeism could drive further improvement. For parents, St. Stephen Middle offers a small, well-resourced environment with improving academics, particularly in math, but families should be aware of the achievement gaps in 8th grade reading and the elevated chronic absenteeism rate.
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