Summary:
Zip code 29556, serving the Kingstree, South Carolina area within the Williamsburg 01 school district, contains four schools—two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school—that collectively enroll about 1,748 students, with the district ranking in the 19th percentile statewide.
For parents, the standout performer is Kingstree High, which shows genuine academic strength: its Algebra 1 proficiency hit 82.5% and English 2 reached 87.5% in the most recent data, both exceeding state averages. However, this success is not consistent across all subjects, as U.S. History proficiency lags 11 points behind the state. The middle school, Kingstree Middle Magnet, struggles most in math, with 6th-grade proficiency at just 15% versus the state's 40.9%—a 26-point gap that is the largest deficit in the dataset. Among elementary schools, Kenneth Gardner Leadership Academy ranks in the 13th percentile, with 4th-grade science proficiency at only 18.1% compared to the state's 51.6%. W.M. Anderson Primary has no recent test data but shows a troubling 45.6% chronic absenteeism rate—more than double the state average.
The most pressing issue across all four schools is chronic absenteeism, with every school exceeding the state's 22.3% rate; the district-wide figure of 35.6% is 60% higher than the state. This is especially concerning at the primary level, where nearly half of PK-2 students are chronically absent, often predicting long-term struggles. Despite spending $16,578–$18,605 per student—well above typical state levels—academic outcomes remain below norms, suggesting funding alone isn't solving the problem. Test scores also show dramatic year-over-year swings (e.g., Algebra 1 dropped from 82.5% to 62.7%), indicating possible cohort effects or inconsistent instruction. For parents, the key takeaway is that while Kingstree High demonstrates what's possible, addressing attendance and early math skills across the feeder pattern will be critical to improving outcomes district-wide.
Thank you for your feedback!