Summary:
Zip code 29681 in Simpsonville, South Carolina, is home to three public middle schools serving grades 6-8, all part of the highly-ranked Greenville 01 school district, which sits in the 85th percentile statewide.
Hillcrest Middle is the clear standout, ranking in the top 11% of all South Carolina middle schools with a 4-star rating. Its academic performance is exceptional across the board, particularly in 6th-grade science where 82.5% of students are proficient—more than 30 points above the state average. Hillcrest also leads in English Language Arts (71.8% average proficiency) and math (59.3%), while maintaining the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 18.2%. Mauldin Middle offers a solid, consistent option with a 4-star rating and 76th percentile ranking. It performs above district averages in ELA (67.1%) and matches the district in math (47.9%), though its science proficiency (57.1%) is notably lower than Hillcrest's. Bryson Middle lags significantly behind its neighbors, ranking in the 48th percentile with only a 2-star rating. Its math proficiency declines sharply by grade level, dropping from 42.9% in 6th grade to just 29.0% in 8th grade, and its chronic absenteeism rate of 30.5% is the highest in the group—67% higher than Hillcrest's.
Despite these disparities, all three schools achieve 100% proficiency on the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam, far exceeding district (85.6%) and state (73.9%) averages, indicating uniformly strong advanced math programs. Per-student spending varies only modestly (from $10,950 to $11,896) and does not explain the performance gaps. The strongest correlation is with attendance: schools with lower chronic absenteeism consistently outperform. For parents, this zip code offers a wide range of educational experiences—from Hillcrest's top-tier academics to Bryson's ongoing challenges—so evaluating individual schools rather than relying on district reputation is essential.
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