Summary:
Zip code 29530, serving the Coward, South Carolina area, is home to just one school: J. C. Lynch Elementary, a PK-6 school with 353 students in the Florence 03 district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that J. C. Lynch Elementary is a school of stark contrasts. It is a clear standout within its district, dramatically outperforming Florence 03 in nearly every subject and grade level. For example, 4th grade math proficiency is 70.4% at the school versus just 34.2% district-wide, and 3rd grade math is 60.7% versus 35.4%. The school has also shown strong momentum, climbing from the 31st to the 49th percentile in state rankings over two years. However, this success is heavily concentrated in the early grades. While 3rd and 4th graders perform at or above state averages, there is a sharp decline in upper grades. By 6th grade, only 23.8% of students are proficient in math, compared to the state average of 40.9%, and ELA proficiency drops from 67.8% in 3rd grade to 47.7% in 6th grade. This "upper grade cliff" is the school's biggest challenge.
Another key finding is the extreme year-to-year volatility, particularly the remarkable "4th grade surge" where proficiency jumped by roughly 27-29 points in both ELA and math in a single year. This suggests that performance is highly dependent on the specific cohort of students, making it difficult to predict future results. On a positive note, the school has a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 12.7:1 and spends a robust $13,662 per student. Chronic absenteeism, at 21.3%, is slightly better than both the district and state averages. Ultimately, J. C. Lynch Elementary is a school that excels in early elementary years and shines within its district, but parents should be aware that sustaining that academic growth through 5th and 6th grade, especially in math and science, remains a critical area of focus.
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