Summary:
Zip code 29492, located in the Charleston, SC area, is served by a single high school, Philip Simmons High, which enrolls 797 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Berkeley 01 school district.
As the only high school in this zip code, Philip Simmons High is the clear choice for local families, and it presents a strong overall profile. The school has improved its state ranking from 57th to 45th over the past two years, now placing it in the 82nd percentile statewide with a 4-star rating. Academically, the school shines in humanities: English 2 proficiency is exceptional at 91.88%, and U.S. History proficiency is a standout 79.48%, outperforming the state by nearly 17 points. Student outcomes are also positive, with a 91.4% graduation rate, a remarkably low 0.4% dropout rate (five times better than the state average), and a student-teacher ratio of 14.4:1. However, the school shows a significant weakness in mathematics, with Algebra 1 proficiency at just 57.24%—nearly 17 points below the state average of 73.95%. This stark contrast between humanities and math performance is the school's most notable challenge.
For parents, the key takeaway is that Philip Simmons High is a strong, improving school that excels at keeping students engaged and performing well in English and history, but it struggles in Algebra 1. There is also some volatility in 9th-grade English scores, which dropped from 79.57% to 65.65% in one year, while English 2 remained stable. Chronic absenteeism affects about 1 in 5 students (21.1%), which is slightly better than the state average but still an area for improvement. With per-student spending of $14,622, the school has solid resources, but the math underperformance suggests those resources may not be optimally allocated toward STEM instruction. Overall, this is a school with clear strengths in student retention and humanities, and its most promising opportunity for growth lies in boosting mathematics achievement.
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