Best Public Schools in Zip Code 29841

Zip code 29841, covering North Augusta and Belvedere in South Carolina, is served by 8 schools within the Aiken 01 district, including 4 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1 high school, with a total enrollment of approximately 5,877 students.

For parents, the standout school in this area is Hammond Hill Elementary, which ranks in the 92nd percentile statewide (5 stars) and outperforms district averages by 15-30 percentage points in every subject and grade level. It is the clear academic leader, with particularly strong 4th grade ELA (84.6% proficient) and 3rd grade ELA (80% proficient). Among middle schools, Highland Springs Middle is the rising star, jumping from the 61st to 76th percentile in one year, with 8th grade math proficiency more than doubling from 22.3% to 49.3%. Paul Knox Middle (72nd percentile) and North Augusta Middle (67th percentile) also perform solidly. At the high school level, North Augusta High ranks in the 62nd percentile but boasts an exceptional 90.7% graduation rate and a remarkably low 0.5% dropout rate, far better than district and state averages. On the lower end, North Augusta Elementary is the weakest school, ranking in the 49th percentile with concerning 4th grade science proficiency (29%), while Belvedere Elementary (69th percentile) and Mossy Creek Elementary (57th percentile) fall in the middle range.

One of the most striking patterns is the "math cliff" between elementary and middle school—while elementary schools like Hammond Hill achieve 73-78% math proficiency, 6th grade math proficiency drops to just 37.7-49.1% across the three middle schools. Science is the weakest subject across all grade levels, with proficiency rates ranging from 41.1% to 67.3% in elementary and 54.2% to 61.3% in middle school. Chronic absenteeism is a hidden challenge, with rates between 19.0% (Hammond Hill) and 25.4% (North Augusta High), though all schools are at or below the district average of 25.1%. Notably, spending does not correlate with performance—Hammond Hill spends $12,399 per student while the lowest-performing North Augusta Elementary spends $12,031, suggesting that how funds are used matters more than the amount. The most improved school, Highland Springs Middle, has the highest per-student spending at $13,335, indicating targeted investments may be driving its turnaround.