Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 29556

Zip code 29556 in Kingstree, SC, is served by two public elementary schools within the Williamsburg 01 school district, which together cover grades PK through 5 and enroll roughly 726 students.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that these two schools face significant academic challenges, but they are not identical. Kenneth Gardner Leadership Academy (grades 3-5) shows a notable bright spot: 55.1% of its 5th graders were proficient in English Language Arts in 2025-2026, beating the district average and suggesting effective literacy instruction for students who stay enrolled. However, its math scores lag far behind state averages (best at 37.4% in 3rd grade), and 4th-grade science proficiency is critically low at just 18.1% versus the state's 51.6%. Performance is also volatile year-to-year, with 4th-grade ELA dropping nearly 10 points while 5th-grade math jumped over 7 points. Meanwhile, W.M. Anderson Primary (grades PK-2) has a severe chronic absenteeism problem: 45.6% of its students are chronically absent, nearly double the district rate (35.6%) and more than double the state rate (22.3%). This is a major red flag because early attendance habits strongly predict later success. By contrast, Kenneth Gardner's absenteeism rate is 25.4%, still above the state but far healthier.

Financially, both schools spend heavily—over $16,500 per student—yet outcomes remain low, suggesting funding alone isn't the solution. W.M. Anderson spends slightly more ($17,213) and has a marginally better student-teacher ratio (13:1 vs. 13.6:1). The district itself is ranked 61st out of 75 in South Carolina with a 1-star rating. For parents, the key insight is that Kenneth Gardner offers a proven model for 5th-grade literacy, but science and math need urgent attention, while W.M. Anderson's biggest challenge is getting its youngest learners to show up consistently. The feeder pattern means early struggles at W.M. Anderson likely carry over to Kenneth Gardner, making the absenteeism gap the single most important issue to watch.