Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 29554

Middle Schools in zip code 29554, serving the Hemingway, SC area, include two public schools for grades 6 through 8: Carvers Bay Middle STEAM Academy in Georgetown 01 and Hemingway MB Lee Middle in Williamsburg 01.

These two schools offer contrasting profiles. Carvers Bay Middle STEAM Academy is the larger school with 259 students, nearly double the enrollment of Hemingway MB Lee Middle (131 students). While Hemingway MB Lee Middle currently holds a higher state ranking (24th percentile vs. 9th percentile), Carvers Bay Middle is showing clear upward momentum, improving its ranking from the 9th to the 23rd percentile over three years. In contrast, Hemingway MB Lee Middle has remained relatively stagnant. Both schools have favorable student-teacher ratios (around 10:1), but Hemingway MB Lee Middle spends significantly more per student ($20,289 vs. $18,559).

Academically, Hemingway MB Lee Middle outperforms Carvers Bay Middle in most subjects, particularly in 8th-grade math (34.2% proficient vs. 22.1%) and 6th-grade ELA (51.2% vs. 36.2%). However, the biggest concern is chronic absenteeism: Hemingway MB Lee Middle has a rate of 41.1%, nearly double the state average (22.3%) and far higher than Carvers Bay Middle (23.7%). This high absenteeism likely undermines the benefits of its higher spending and smaller classes. Meanwhile, Carvers Bay Middle shows relative strength in 8th-grade ELA (45.3% proficient). Parents should note that test scores at both schools can fluctuate significantly year-to-year, especially at the smaller school, so single-year results may not fully reflect long-term performance.