Schools in Zip Code 29918

Schools in zip code 29918 serve the small, close-knit community of Estill, South Carolina, and include just two public schools—Estill Elementary (grades PK-4) and Estill Middle (grades 5-8)—both part of the Hampton district, which ranks in the bottom third of South Carolina districts.

For parents, the most important takeaway is that Estill Elementary is the stronger of the two schools, particularly in English Language Arts. In the most recent school year, 3rd-grade ELA proficiency was 46.6% and 4th-grade reached 60%, nearly matching the state average. However, math is a clear weakness at the elementary level, with only 17.1% of 4th graders proficient, and science is also low at 20%. The school has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.8, which supports more individualized attention. In contrast, Estill Middle shows a dramatic drop-off in performance. While 5th and 7th-grade ELA proficiency reached 50%, most other subjects fell below 40%, with 6th-grade science at just 11.4% and 6th-grade math at 14.3%. The middle school also has a higher student-teacher ratio (13.5) and spends more per student ($17,660) than the elementary school ($15,985), yet achieves worse results—a disconnect worth investigating.

Chronic absenteeism is a systemic concern, affecting 26.7% of elementary students and 21.7% of middle school students, both above the state average of 22.3%. This likely contributes to the inconsistent year-over-year test scores, such as 5th-grade ELA jumping from 18.2% to 50% in one year. The severe "middle school slump" and the high spending with low outcomes are key red flags. For parents, this means the transition from elementary to middle school is a critical period that may require extra support, and despite above-average per-student funding, academic results remain below state norms.