Summary:
Zip code 29835 in rural South Carolina is home to just one middle school, McCormick Middle, which serves grades 6 through 8 with a small enrollment of 106 students as part of the McCormick 01 school district.
For parents considering this area, the standout story is a school on a clear upward trajectory. Over the past two years, McCormick Middle has jumped from the 19th percentile to the 48th percentile in statewide rankings, moving from a 1-star to a 2-star rating. This improvement is driven largely by strong English Language Arts performance, particularly in the upper grades—8th-grade ELA proficiency (65.7%) and 7th-grade ELA proficiency (60.7%) both exceed state averages. The school also benefits from exceptional resource allocation, spending $29,169 per student with a favorable 9.6:1 student-teacher ratio, which likely supports more individualized attention. However, the picture is mixed: math and science scores lag behind state averages across all grade levels, with the widest gaps in 8th-grade math (-8.9 points) and 6th-grade science (-12.4 points). Chronic absenteeism is also a concern, with 25.6% of students chronically absent compared to 22.3% statewide.
The most important takeaway for parents is that this is a school with clear strengths and targeted areas for growth. The dramatic improvement in rankings suggests recent changes are working, especially in reading and writing. The small class sizes and high per-student spending are genuine advantages that can foster strong teacher-student relationships. Yet, the persistent gaps in STEM subjects and elevated absenteeism rates are red flags that warrant attention. Given the small student body, year-to-year scores can swing significantly—for example, 7th-grade math proficiency jumped from 11.4% to 37% in one year—so it is wise to look at multi-year trends rather than any single year's results. Overall, McCormick Middle offers a promising, resource-rich environment that is improving, but parents should monitor STEM performance and attendance closely.
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