Is Whale Branch Middle a good school?

Whale Branch Middle ranks in the bottom 12.9% of South Carolina middle schools.

How many students attend Whale Branch Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 226 students attended Whale Branch Middle.

What is the racial makeup of Whale Branch Middle?

Students at Whale Branch Middle are 73% African American, 14% Hispanic, 7% White, 7% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Whale Branch Middle attend?

Students who attend Whale Branch Middle usually go on to attend Whale Branch Early College High

Whale Branch Middle

Summary:

Whale Branch Middle is a public middle school located in Seabrook, South Carolina, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 331. The school is part of the Beaufort 01 school district, which is ranked 26 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Whale Branch Middle stands out for several key factors. It has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (78.25%) compared to the nearby Beaufort Middle (42.45%) and Lady's Island Middle schools. Academically, the school consistently underperforms the Beaufort 01 district and the state of South Carolina in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 22.9% of 6th-grade students at Whale Branch Middle were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 55.1% in the Beaufort 01 district and 53.7% statewide. As a result, Whale Branch Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom third of South Carolina middle schools, with a ranking of 283 out of 325 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the higher spending per student at Whale Branch Middle ($23,930 in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to $20,941 at Beaufort Middle and $18,910 at Lady's Island Middle), the school's academic performance remains poor. This suggests that simply increasing funding may not be enough to drive meaningful improvements, and a closer examination of how resources are allocated and utilized may be necessary. However, the data also indicates that there is room for improvement, and by addressing the specific needs of the student population and implementing targeted academic interventions, Whale Branch Middle may be able to drive meaningful progress.

Detail:

Public 6-8

2009 Trask Parkway
Seabrook, SC 29940

(843) 466-3000

District: Beaufort 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
283^rd of 325 South Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $23,930

Students who attend Whale Branch Middle usually attend:

High:

Whale Branch Early College High

Feeder schools for Whale Branch Middle:

Elementary:

Whale Branch Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 6.6

Number of students: 226

Racial breakdown:

African American:

72.6%

Hispanic:

14.2%

White:

6.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare Whale Branch Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Whale Branch Middle ranks worse than 87.1% of middle schools in South Carolina. It also ranks last among 6 ranked middle schools in the Beaufort 01 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 15.36. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Whale Branch Middle has the smallest middle school student body size in the Beaufort 01 School District. Racial makeup is: African American (72.6%), Hispanic (14.2%), two or more races (6.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Whale Branch Middle is 6.6, which is the lowest among 6 middle schools in the Beaufort 01 School District! (See more...)

Compare Whale Branch Middle employs 34 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whale Branch Middle is $23,930, which is the highest among 6 middle schools in the Beaufort 01 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whale Branch Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Whale Branch Middle 283^rd of 325 South Carolina public middle schools. (See Whale Branch Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Beaufort 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Beaufort 01 26^th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Whale Branch Middle.

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Your rating for Whale Branch Middle?

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Rank History for Whale Branch Middle

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Rank History for all students at Whale Branch Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2003	11.68	207^th	225	8.0%
2004	29.17	178^th	230	22.6%
2005	23.84	191^st	230	17.0%
2006	19.05	200^th	231	13.4%
2007	11.12	222^nd	236	5.9%
2008	16.50	223^rd	244	8.6%
2009	28.67	201^st	249	19.3%
2010	32.83	203^rd	261	22.2%
2011	30.56	208^th	269	22.7%
2012	27.04	223^rd	271	17.7%
2013	31.19	211^th	276	23.6%
2014	19.55	249^th	291	14.4%
2015	21.04	252^nd	301	16.3%
2016	26.65	231^st	303	23.8%
2017	31.48	223^rd	317	29.7%
2018	25.18	231^st	303	23.8%
2019	16.07	271^st	315	14.0%
2021	16.34	259^th	311	16.7%
2022	19.30	243^rd	310	21.6%
2023	12.55	294^th	325	9.5%
2024	15.36	283^rd	325	12.9%

See the entire list of South Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Whale Branch Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	37.84	176^th	280	37.1%
2019	21.91	241^st	289	16.6%
2021	23.02	227^th	288	21.2%
2022	24.64	229^th	300	23.7%
2023	15.49	286^th	313	8.6%
2024	19.82	265^th	307	13.7%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Whale Branch Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	35.06	184^th	281	34.5%
2019	18.89	248^th	296	16.2%
2021	17.60	232^nd	279	16.8%
2022	21.59	229^th	290	21.0%
2023	11.97	278^th	299	7.0%
2024	19.81	241^st	294	18.0%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Whale Branch Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	24.56	155^th	187	17.1%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Whale Branch Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	16.89	248^th	284	12.7%
2019	15.20	255^th	296	13.9%
2021	14.65	244^th	279	12.5%
2022	17.13	249^th	292	14.7%
2023	14.78	259^th	303	14.5%
2024	13.57	264^th	294	10.2%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Whale Branch Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	52.03	95^th	237	59.9%
2019	32.75	181^st	252	28.2%
2021	37.35	146^th	235	37.9%
2022	36.59	156^th	249	37.3%
2023	33.21	173^rd	253	31.6%
2024	36.55	160^th	248	35.5%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: South Carolina Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a principal
Saturday, October 1, 2022

Whale Branch Middle School has a lot to offer its community. They provide a full STEAM education opportunity with every teacher being trained to provide arts integrated lessons and 2 project lead the way teachers that provide real-life opportunities through project based learning. Although test scores need improvement there is a lot more to a school's story than just their test scores. Whale Branch Middle School has great opportunities for all of its various types of learners. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Whale Branch Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2000	79	350	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	435
2001	94	434	4	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	538
2002	75	434	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	516
2003	75	434	1	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	516
2004	62	378	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	448
2005	68	364	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	439
2006	41	372	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	421
2007	39	309	1	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	360
2008	35	262	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	1	305
2009	44	251	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
2010	50	271	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	329
2011	50	273	1	6	2	0	0	0	332
2012	67	278	0	11	2	0	6	0	364
2013	53	316	1	14	2	0	8	0	394
2014	44	316	1	13	2	0	8	0	384
2015	38	321	1	20	1	0	10	0	391
2016	42	316	1	20	0	0	16	0	395
2017	33	318	0	18	0	0	14	0	383
2018	34	303	0	17	0	0	13	0	367
2019	28	295	0	20	0	0	11	0	354
2020	24	292	0	30	1	1	10	0	358
2021	22	283	0	34	1	1	17	0	358
2022	19	258	0	31	1	1	13	0	323
2023	15	259	0	36	1	0	20	0	331
2024	15	164	0	32	0	0	15	0	226

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Whale Branch Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	435	28.0	15.5	77.7
2001	538	35.0	15.4	73
2002	516	39.0	13.2	78.7
2003	516	39.0	13.2	78.7
2004	448	43.9	10.2	82.1
2005	439	42.6	10.3	83.1
2006	421	36.4	11.6	81.2
2007	360	36.5	9.9	79.7
2008	305	30.0	10.2	88.8
2009	306	29.0	10.6	79.1
2010	329	28.0	11.7	79.9
2011	332	28.0	11.8	86.7
2012	364	30.0	12.1	83.8
2013	394	34.0	11.5	90.6
2014	384	31.0	12.3	81.3
2015	391	29.0	13.4	100
2016	395	33.0	11.9	100
2017	383	32.0	11.9	100
2018	367	31.0	11.8	100
2019	354	28.0	12.6	100
2020	358	27.0	13.2	100
2021	358	29.0	12.3	100
2022	323	30.0	10.7	100
2023	331	31.0	10.6	100
2024	226	34.0	6.6	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Whale Branch Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	435	28.0	15.5	77.7
2001	538	35.0	15.4	73
2002	516	39.0	13.2	78.7
2003	516	39.0	13.2	78.7
2004	448	43.9	10.2	82.1
2005	439	42.6	10.3	83.1
2006	421	36.4	11.6	81.2
2007	360	36.5	9.9	79.7
2008	305	30.0	10.2	88.8
2009	306	29.0	10.6	79.1
2010	329	28.0	11.7	79.9
2011	332	28.0	11.8	86.7
2012	364	30.0	12.1	83.8
2013	394	34.0	11.5	90.6
2014	384	31.0	12.3	81.3
2015	391	29.0	13.4	100
2016	395	33.0	11.9	100
2017	383	32.0	11.9	100
2018	367	31.0	11.8	100
2019	354	28.0	12.6	100
2020	358	27.0	13.2	100
2021	358	29.0	12.3	100
2022	323	30.0	10.7	100
2023	331	31.0	10.6	100
2024	226	34.0	6.6	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Whale Branch Middle

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$737 (5.2%)	$865 (6.1%)	$1,602 (11.4%)	$9,436 (67.0%)	$3,045 (21.6%)	$12,481 (88.6%)	$14,083
2020	$819 (5.7%)	$213 (1.5%)	$1,032 (7.1%)	$9,695 (67.0%)	$3,736 (25.8%)	$13,431 (92.9%)	$14,463
2021	$968 (6.3%)	$1,156 (7.5%)	$2,124 (13.9%)	$9,990 (65.2%)	$3,217 (21.0%)	$13,207 (86.1%)	$15,331
2022	$807 (5.1%)	$1,039 (6.6%)	$1,846 (11.7%)	$11,095 (70.0%)	$2,899 (18.3%)	$13,995 (88.4%)	$15,840
2023	$1,822 (7.6%)	$3,211 (13.4%)	$5,033 (21.0%)	$14,897 (62.3%)	$4,001 (16.7%)	$18,898 (79.0%)	$23,930

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Whale Branch Middle

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 271^st of 315 Middle schools	Ranks 294^th of 325 Middle schools	4.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
5th Grade English Language Arts (Whale Branch Middle)	28.6	20.6	8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Beaufort 01)	40.2	56.8	16.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	41	55.2	14.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Whale Branch Middle)	26.7	13.2	13.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Beaufort 01)	47.9	45.9	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	45.4	44.6	0.8%
6th Grade Science (Whale Branch Middle)	24.6	11.5	13.1%
6th Grade Science (Beaufort 01)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Science (South Carolina)	47.1	43	4.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Whale Branch Middle)	22.2	33	10.8%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Beaufort 01)	42.5	55.7	13.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	41.1	53.4	12.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Whale Branch Middle)	29.6	12.5	17.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Beaufort 01)	47.5	38.9	8.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	43.9	36.7	7.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Whale Branch Middle)	20.7	19	1.7%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Beaufort 01)	43.7	49.6	5.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	44	50.1	6.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Whale Branch Middle)	22.9	1.6	21.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Beaufort 01)	37.5	29.5	8%
7th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	35.3	31	4.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Whale Branch Middle)	24.4	36.3	11.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Beaufort 01)	45.4	50.8	5.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	44.5	53.1	8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Whale Branch Middle)	18.8	14.9	3.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Beaufort 01)	37.8	28.3	9.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	36.6	31.6	5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	354	331	6.5%
African American	295	259	12.2%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	20	36	80%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	28	15	46.4%
Two or More Races	11	20	81.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Whale Branch Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SC READY English Language Arts (2024)			SC READY Mathematics (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Whale Branch Middle	Public	6-8	2009 Trask Parkway	Seabrook	29940	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 466-3000	226	34	6.6	100.0%	15 (6.6%)	164 (72.6%)	32 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.6%)	15.4	283^rd of 325 public middle schools	12.9%		12.5	294^th of 325 public middle schools	9.5%	11	22.9	38.8	25.0	10.3	18.8	7.9	$23,930	$1,822	$3,211	$5,033	$14,897	$4,001	$18,898
Beaufort Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2501 Mossy Oaks Boulevard	Beaufort	29902	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	Yes	No	No	(843) 322-5700	371	42	8.8	100.0%	134 (36.1%)	155 (41.8%)	48 (12.9%)	6 (1.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.0%)	51.5	146^th of 325 public middle schools	55.1%		40.6	186^th of 325 public middle schools	42.8%	40	61.3	49.6	48.5	35.6	24.5	24.2	$20,941	$1,220	$1,660	$2,880	$14,272	$3,789	$18,060
Lady's Island Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	30 Cougar Drive	Beaufort	29907	Beaufort County	Beaufort 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 322-3167	418	50	8.3	100.0%	122 (29.2%)	209 (50.0%)	54 (12.9%)	7 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.2%)	43.7	170^th of 325 public middle schools	47.7%		28	233^rd of 325 public middle schools	28.3%	63	52.1	43.3	48.5	35.4	21.8	22.6	$18,910	$1,576	$1,620	$3,196	$12,053	$3,661	$15,714

Whale Branch Middle

Whale Branch Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Beaufort 01:

Average Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Whale Branch Middle

Rank History for all students at Whale Branch Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Whale Branch Middle

Rank History for Female students at Whale Branch Middle

Rank History for Disabled students at Whale Branch Middle

Rank History for Male students at Whale Branch Middle

Rank History for African American students at Whale Branch Middle

Review counts

Enrollment information for Whale Branch Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Whale Branch Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio Whale Branch Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for Whale Branch Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on Whale Branch Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Whale Branch Middle