Best Public Schools in Zip Code 29827

Zip code 29827 in Fairfax, SC is served by four schools across two districts, including one elementary school, one middle school, and two high schools, with the primary district being Allendale 01, which ranks in the bottom 7th percentile of South Carolina districts.

For parents, the standout school in this area is Allendale-Fairfax High, which shows remarkable strength in Algebra 1 with an 82.69% proficiency rate—beating the state average of 73.95%—though it struggles significantly in English 1 (26.98%) and U.S. History (24.62%). The high school also has a graduation rate of 73.3%, well below the state's 86.7%, and a dropout rate more than double the state average. Allendale-Fairfax Elementary presents a mixed picture: 3rd graders outperform state averages in both ELA (71.4% vs. 64.1%) and math (64.3% vs. 59.2%), but by 5th grade, math proficiency plummets to just 16.3%—a staggering 48-point drop. Allendale-Fairfax Middle shows consistent deficiencies, particularly in math, where proficiency rates run 11-22 points below state averages across all grades. The fourth school, Allendale High, operates under the Dept Of Correction N04 district with only 8 students and no test data, serving a specialized population that cannot be compared to traditional schools.

The most pressing issue across all mainstream schools is chronic absenteeism, with rates between 38.8% and 45.3%—roughly double the state average of 22.3%. This likely drives much of the academic underperformance. Despite spending $22,823-$24,197 per student (well above state norms), outcomes remain in the bottom quartile, suggesting money alone isn't the solution. Test scores also fluctuate dramatically year-to-year, making it hard to identify true trends. The district's rankings have remained stagnant or declined over three years, with the high school briefly improving to the 12th percentile in 2024-2025 before falling back to the 6th percentile. Parents should know that while pockets of excellence exist—particularly in early elementary grades and high school Algebra 1—the systemic challenges of attendance and learning loss between 3rd and 5th grades need urgent, targeted intervention.