Summary:
There are four elementary schools serving grades PK-5 in zip code 29532 (Darlington, SC), all part of the Darlington 01 district, which ranks in the bottom half of South Carolina districts.
For parents, the standout school academically is Brockington Elementary, which serves grades 3-5 and holds the highest state ranking (358th, 44th percentile) among the four. It is the only school with a 2-star rating, and its 5th-grade math proficiency (56.5%) and ELA proficiency (58.8%) far exceed district averages. Brockington also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (22.2%), below both district and state averages, and its ranking improved by 61 places from the prior year. In contrast, J.L. Cain Elementary is on a sharp decline, with its ranking dropping to 568th (12th percentile) in preliminary 2025-2026 data, and its 4th-grade math proficiency is just 24.7%. St. John's Elementary spends the most per student ($17,078) but has the second-lowest ranking and a 33.3% chronic absenteeism rate, showing that higher funding does not guarantee better results. Pate Elementary, a PK-2 school, has the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 39.1%, meaning nearly 4 in 10 students are chronically absent.
Chronic absenteeism is a pervasive issue, with three of the four schools exceeding the state average of 22.3%. The split model (PK-2 at Pate, 3-5 at Brockington) may be contributing to academic challenges, as students arrive at Brockington potentially behind, yet the school excels at accelerating learning. District-wide, all schools struggle to meet state averages, particularly in math and science, with proficiency gaps of 10-20 percentage points common. Per-student spending averages $16,257, with a $2,148 disparity between the highest and lowest spending schools. Student-teacher ratios are low and consistent, ranging from 12.3:1 at J.L. Cain to 15.2:1 at St. John's. Overall, Brockington is the clear choice for academic strength, while J.L. Cain and Pate require urgent attention.
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