Summary:
In zip code 29532, there is exactly one middle school, Darlington Middle, which serves grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 888 students as part of the Darlington 01 district.
For parents considering Darlington Middle, the school presents a mixed picture. The most impressive highlight is a perfect 100% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam for the 2024-2025 school year, far exceeding the district's 68.3% and the state's 74%. Additionally, 8th-grade English Language Arts proficiency reached 58.2% in the most recent year, which is right at the state average and the school's best ELA result. However, these bright spots contrast sharply with standard grade-level math performance, where proficiency rates in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade all fall below 40%, with 7th grade lagging 13 points behind the state. This suggests that while a select group of advanced math students thrives, the majority of students struggle with the regular math curriculum. The school's state ranking has been remarkably stable, hovering around the 37th percentile for three consecutive years, earning it a consistent 2-star rating.
A significant concern is the chronic absenteeism rate of 27.1%, which is notably higher than both the district (23.4%) and state (22.3%) averages. This means more than one in four students misses substantial school time, which likely contributes to the below-average scores in core subjects. On a positive note, 8th graders outperform their younger peers in both ELA and math, suggesting students who stay through the final year develop stronger skills. The school spends a substantial $15,589 per student, yet this high investment does not translate into top-tier overall results, possibly due to the absenteeism challenge. With a student-teacher ratio of 15.3:1, families should weigh the school's exceptional advanced math program and improving 8th-grade performance against the concerning attendance issues and weaker standard math outcomes.
Thank you for your feedback!