Best Middle Schools in Zip Code 29745

The two middle schools serving zip code 29745 in York, South Carolina—York Middle (grades 7-8) and York Intermediate (grades 5-6)—are part of the York 01 district and together educate 1,413 students, with the district ranking in the middle of the pack statewide (53rd percentile, 3 stars).

York Middle is the larger school and the only one with a formal state ranking, though its performance has slipped from the 47th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 41st percentile in 2025-2026. Its standout achievement is a remarkable 94% proficiency rate on the Algebra 1 EOCEP exam—far exceeding the district (57%) and state (74%)—which suggests either exceptional advanced math instruction or a highly selective group of test-takers. However, this strength contrasts sharply with its chronic absenteeism crisis: 35.2% of students are chronically absent, a rate 58% higher than both the district and state averages and nearly 13 points higher than York Intermediate. The school also spends more per student ($14,687 vs. $13,375) and has a better student-teacher ratio (12.6:1 vs. 14.3:1) than York Intermediate, yet its regular math and ELA scores are generally comparable or lower—raising questions about how resources are being used. On a positive note, York Middle showed dramatic year-over-year math gains (8th grade math jumped from 27.5% to 42.3% proficiency), suggesting recent interventions may be working.

York Intermediate, which feeds into York Middle, has no state ranking but performs competitively with its district while trailing state averages in most subjects. Its one bright spot is 6th grade math (42.9% proficient), which actually exceeds the state average (40.9%). The school's chronic absenteeism (22.6%) is near the state average, making the spike at York Middle even more concerning. Science is a significant weakness at both schools, with York Intermediate's 6th grade science proficiency dropping sharply from 46.4% to 35.2% in one year—a 16.7-point gap behind the state. Overall, the data reveals a "middle school slide" pattern where students lose ground as they advance, and the transition from York Intermediate to York Middle appears particularly problematic given the absenteeism surge and math proficiency drop between 6th and 7th grade.