Summary:
Zip code 29526 in Conway, SC is served by two public middle schools—Black Water Middle and Conway Middle—both part of the highly-ranked Horry 01 district, which ranks 9th out of 75 districts in the state.
For families weighing their options, Conway Middle currently stands out as the stronger overall choice. It holds a higher state ranking (117th vs. 142nd), has maintained remarkable consistency over three years (never dropping below 117th), and outperforms Black Water Middle in 8th grade math by 3.1 percentage points (42.5% vs. 39.4%). Conway also has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (20.4% vs. 25.5%) and a slightly better student-teacher ratio (14.0:1 vs. 15.4:1), while spending about $240 more per student. However, Black Water Middle is the improver—it jumped from 149th to 142nd in state rankings year-over-year and achieved a perfect 100% proficiency on the Algebra 1 EOCEP exam, matching Conway's near-perfect 99.99%. Both schools far exceed the state average of 73.95% on that exam, indicating strong advanced math placement programs.
Academically, both schools excel in English Language Arts, beating state averages in most grades, but math remains a shared weakness with proficiency rates hovering around 39-42%—roughly 20 points below ELA scores. Science is improving at both schools, with 6th grade proficiency rising by 4.8 points at Black Water and 3.6 points at Conway. Chronic absenteeism is a concern, especially at Black Water where one in four students misses significant instructional time, exceeding both district (19.4%) and state (22.3%) averages. For parents seeking predictability, Conway offers stability; for those valuing upward momentum and exceptional advanced math results, Black Water is worth watching closely.
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