Schools in Zip Code 29570

Zip code 29570 in McColl, South Carolina, is served by a single school, McColl Elementary/Middle, a PK-8 campus within the Marlboro 01 district that educates 631 students.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that this school offers a unique, long-term educational setting where children can stay from Pre-K through 8th grade, which can foster strong relationships and stability. The school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.2:1 and spends a substantial $10,903 per student, indicating a solid investment in resources. Academically, the standout achievement is a perfect 100% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 End-of-Course Exam, which dramatically exceeds both the district (60.15%) and state (73.95%) averages. However, this success is not reflected in other subjects. In English Language Arts, proficiency rates range from 32% to 54.7% across grades, and in math, they fall between 21.3% and 43.6%, with all grades significantly below state averages. The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at a critical 40.9%—nearly double the state average of 22.3%—and is likely a major factor hindering academic progress.

Despite these challenges, the school is showing a positive trajectory. Its state ranking has improved for three consecutive years, climbing from the 15th percentile to the 22nd percentile. While it remains in the bottom quarter of South Carolina schools, it generally outperforms its district, which ranks in the 5th percentile statewide. Parents should also be aware of significant year-to-year performance swings at different grade levels, which suggests that instructional quality and cohort sizes can vary. Overall, McColl Elementary/Middle is a school with notable strengths, particularly in advanced math, but it faces substantial hurdles in attendance and core subject proficiency that will require continued focus.