Summary:
The city of Jefferson, South Carolina is home to two schools - New Heights Middle School and Jefferson Elementary School, both part of the Chesterfield 01 school district. While the elementary school performs slightly better academically, both schools face significant challenges, including very low proficiency rates, high poverty levels, and stark demographic differences.
New Heights Middle School stands out for its high percentage of minority students (63.84% non-White) and extremely low academic performance, ranking in the bottom 10% of South Carolina middle schools. In contrast, Jefferson Elementary School has a majority White student population (57.4%) and slightly better, but still below-average, academic results. Both schools have 100% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, indicating high levels of poverty in the community.
Interestingly, both schools have high per-student spending compared to the state average, raising questions about how the funding is being utilized and whether it is effectively supporting student learning. The stark contrast in academic performance between the middle and elementary schools suggests systemic issues that need to be addressed, potentially related to the demographic differences and the high-poverty environment. Overall, the data highlights significant challenges facing the schools in Jefferson, South Carolina, and the need for targeted interventions to support student success.
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