Summary:
Zip code 29697 in Williamston, SC, is served by four public schools within the highly-rated Anderson 01 district, offering a complete K-12 pathway for about 3,000 students.
For parents, the standout is Palmetto High, which posts a 92.6% graduation rate and exceptional Algebra 1 proficiency (96.3%), far outpacing state averages. It achieves this despite a high chronic absenteeism rate of 31.2%, suggesting strong engagement among attending students. The feeder pattern is also a strength: Palmetto Middle excels with a 97.9% Algebra 1 proficiency rate, preparing students well for high school. Among elementary options, Cedar Grove Elementary is the consistent performer, maintaining 4-star ratings and strong ELA scores (77-82.5%), with 3rd-grade math at 72.6% versus the state's 59.2%. In contrast, Palmetto Elementary is the area of concern, holding only a 3-star rating and showing a significant 23-point gap in 4th-grade math (45% vs. district's 68.1%).
Key takeaways include a notable achievement gap between the two elementary schools—Cedar Grove outperforms Palmetto Elementary by 19-27 points in math despite similar spending and class sizes. Math proficiency also tends to decline as students advance through elementary grades, though middle school shows improvement. While the district ranks in the 96th percentile statewide, individual school performance varies from the 84th percentile (Palmetto High) down to the 51st (Palmetto Elementary). Notably, Palmetto High achieves its strong results with the lowest per-student spending ($11,480) and highest student-teacher ratio (18.3:1), indicating efficient resource use. Overall, this community offers a strong educational foundation, with targeted interventions needed at Palmetto Elementary and for high school absenteeism to ensure excellence across all schools.
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