Summary:
Zip code 29588 in the Myrtle Beach, SC area is served by four middle schools within the highly-ranked Horry 01 school district, which together educate roughly 3,139 students across grades 5-8 and consistently outperform state averages in nearly every subject.
For parents, Socastee Middle stands out as the top academic performer in the area. Despite having the smallest enrollment (527 students), it posts the strongest results in 7th and 8th grade math (61.1% and 64.2% proficiency) and 8th grade ELA (72.8%), while also boasting the lowest student-teacher ratio (14.2:1) and highest per-student spending ($13,839). St. James Middle is a rising star, improving its state rank to #67 and showing particular strength in English Language Arts, with over 72% of students proficient in both 7th and 8th grade. Forestbrook Middle made the most dramatic improvement, jumping 28 spots in state ranking and recovering its 4-star rating. St. James Intermediate, serving grades 5-6, posts strong math scores (60.3% proficiency) and has the best attendance record in the group at 15.3% chronic absenteeism.
One notable pattern is that mathematics proficiency lags behind English Language Arts across all schools—a gap as wide as 23.7 points at St. James Middle. However, all three schools offering Algebra 1 achieved near-perfect EOCEP scores (98.86-100%), far exceeding the state average of 73.95%. Chronic absenteeism is a hidden concern at St. James Middle (22.7%), which exceeds both district and state averages despite strong test scores. Overall, these schools offer consistently strong educational options, with all four exceeding state averages in most categories and showing meaningful year-over-year improvement in key subjects.
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