Summary:
Zip code 29626 in Anderson, South Carolina, is served by two elementary schools—McLees Elementary (grades PK-5, 543 students) and Varennes Elementary (grades 3-5, 389 students)—both part of the Anderson 05 district, which ranks in the 71st percentile statewide.
These two schools represent opposite ends of the performance spectrum. McLees Elementary is the clear standout, ranking 217th out of 649 South Carolina schools (67th percentile, 3 stars) and showing steady improvement over the past three years. It exceeds district and state averages in English Language Arts at every grade level, with 4th grade proficiency at 75.4% compared to the state's 65.4%. Math proficiency is also strong, though it declines from 67.0% in 3rd grade to 51.8% in 5th grade. In contrast, Varennes Elementary ranks 509th (22nd percentile, 1 star) and continues to decline. Its proficiency rates fall well below district and state averages in nearly every subject—for example, only 48.0% of 4th graders are proficient in ELA versus 65.4% statewide, and 5th grade math proficiency sits at just 31.3%.
The achievement gap between these schools is stark, reaching 27.4 percentage points in 4th grade ELA. Notably, this gap cannot be explained by resources: Varennes actually has a slightly better student-teacher ratio (13:1 vs. 14:1) and spends only $680 less per student. Both schools struggle with chronic absenteeism (about 24.5%, above the state's 22.3%) and neither meets the state average in 4th grade science. While McLees shows strong year-over-year gains in ELA and math, its science scores dropped 11.2 points, and Varennes shows inconsistent results with some improvements but major declines in upper-grade math. For parents, McLees offers clearly stronger academics and positive momentum, while Varennes presents significant challenges that warrant careful consideration.
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