Summary:
Zip code 29506 in Florence, SC is home to three elementary schools within the Florence 01 school district, serving approximately 1,327 students across a mix of grade configurations, including a PK-2 school, a K-5 school, and a 3-5 school.
For parents exploring this area, the standout school is Theodore Lester Elementary, which is the only 3-star school in the group and has shown steady improvement in its state ranking over three years. It also boasts the best student-teacher ratio (12:1), the highest per-student spending ($18,734), and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (18.1%) among the three schools. In contrast, Henry Timrod Elementary is the weakest performer academically, with a 2-star rating, a declining ranking, and an alarmingly high chronic absenteeism rate of 31.6%—nearly 10 points above the state average. McLaurin Elementary serves the youngest students (PK-2) and sits in the middle, with a 2-star rating, a moderate 20.5% chronic absenteeism rate, and a student-teacher ratio of 13.8:1.
A clear pattern emerges: Theodore Lester’s combination of better attendance, higher funding, and smaller class sizes correlates with its stronger outcomes, while Henry Timrod’s challenges with attendance and lower per-student spending ($15,088) appear to hinder its performance. Both schools with testing data show a concerning decline in math proficiency from 3rd to 5th grade, suggesting a need for stronger upper-grade math support. However, there are bright spots—Henry Timrod’s 3rd grade ELA proficiency (70.7%) actually exceeds district and state averages, and both schools improved in 4th grade science year-over-year. The feeder pattern between McLaurin and Theodore Lester appears to work well, but the $3,646 per-student spending gap between Theodore Lester and Henry Timrod within the same district is worth investigating. Overall, Theodore Lester is the clear academic leader, while Henry Timrod would likely benefit most from targeted attendance interventions and additional resources.
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