Is St. Stephen Middle a good school?

St. Stephen Middle ranks in the bottom 12.0% of South Carolina middle schools.

How many students attend St. Stephen Middle?

In the 2023-24 school year, 182 students attended St. Stephen Middle.

What is the racial makeup of St. Stephen Middle?

Students at St. Stephen Middle are 72% African American, 21% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What high school do graduates of St. Stephen Middle attend?

Students who attend St. Stephen Middle usually go on to attend Timberland High

St. Stephen Middle

Summary:

St. Stephen Middle is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the Berkeley 01 school district in South Carolina, with a student population of 209 and a predominantly African American (73.68%) student body.

Despite having a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13:1, St. Stephen Middle consistently underperforms compared to the district and state averages on standardized tests. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 37.2% of 6th graders, 34.9% of 7th graders, and 36.9% of 8th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district averages of 51.7%, 49.8%, and 46.4%, respectively. The school's performance in Mathematics is even more concerning, with only 7.9% of 6th graders, 3.2% of 7th graders, and 7.1% of 8th graders reaching proficiency, compared to the district averages of 29.7%, 27.1%, and 21.9%. As a result, St. Stephen Middle has consistently ranked in the bottom third of South Carolina middle schools, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school's challenges extend beyond academic performance. St. Stephen Middle has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 100% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the nearby Berkeley Middle (57.31%) and Macedonia Middle schools. Additionally, the school's enrollment has decreased from 209 students in the 2022-2023 school year to 209 students in the 2023-2024 school year, a concerning trend that may impact the school's resources and funding.

Detail:

Public 6-8

225 Carolina Avenue
Saint Stephen, SC 29479

(843) 567-3128

District: Berkeley 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
286^th of 325 South Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,092

Students who attend St. Stephen Middle usually attend:

High:

Timberland High

Feeder schools for St. Stephen Middle:

Elementary:	J. K. Gourdin Elementary
	St. Stephen Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 9.8

Number of students: 182

Racial breakdown:

African American:

72.0%

White:

20.9%

Two or more races:

5.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare St. Stephen Middle to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details St. Stephen Middle ranks worse than 88% of middle schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 10^th among 11 ranked middle schools in the Berkeley 01 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.71. (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 St. Stephen Middle has the smallest middle school student body size in the Berkeley 01 School District. Racial makeup is: African American (72%), White (20.9%), two or more races (5.5%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at St. Stephen Middle is 9.8, which is the lowest among 11 middle schools in the Berkeley 01 School District! (See more...)

Compare St. Stephen Middle employs 18.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at St. Stephen Middle is $18,092, which is the highest among 11 middle schools in the Berkeley 01 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

St. Stephen Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks St. Stephen Middle 286^th of 325 South Carolina public middle schools. (See St. Stephen 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:

Berkeley 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Berkeley 01 37^th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for St. Stephen Middle

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Rank History for all students at St. Stephen Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2003	27.71	179^th	225	20.4%
2004	21.95	196^th	230	14.8%
2005	14.15	213^th	230	7.4%
2006	12.61	215^th	231	6.9%
2007	19.60	208^th	236	11.9%
2008	25.00	207^th	244	15.2%
2009	32.05	192^nd	249	22.9%
2010	29.78	209^th	261	19.9%
2011	28.40	214^th	269	20.4%
2012	24.62	228^th	271	15.9%
2013	20.45	237^th	276	14.1%
2014	22.71	241^st	291	17.2%
2015	27.48	230^th	301	23.6%
2016	29.22	226^th	303	25.4%
2017	37.61	202^nd	317	36.3%
2018	23.28	236^th	303	22.1%
2019	31.82	219^th	315	30.5%
2021	14.54	271^st	311	12.9%
2022	22.10	236^th	310	23.9%
2023	19.75	261^st	325	19.7%
2024	14.71	286^th	325	12.0%

See the entire list of South Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at St. Stephen Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	35.02	193^rd	280	31.1%
2019	43.59	162^nd	289	43.9%
2021	22.19	232^nd	288	19.4%
2022	31.66	205^th	300	31.7%
2023	26.46	239^th	313	23.6%
2024	20.89	259^th	307	15.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at St. Stephen Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	17.91	240^th	281	14.6%
2019	34.15	202^nd	296	31.8%
2022	30.56	204^th	290	29.7%
2023	17.81	248^th	299	17.1%
2024	16.16	254^th	294	13.6%

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

Rank History for Male students at St. Stephen Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	30.29	203^rd	284	28.5%
2019	32.25	205^th	296	30.7%
2021	13.72	250^th	279	10.4%
2022	17.14	248^th	292	15.1%
2023	22.44	236^th	303	22.1%
2024	15.15	260^th	294	11.6%

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

Rank History for African American students at St. Stephen Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	59.73	70^th	237	70.5%
2019	70.71	41^st	252	83.7%
2021	40.57	131^st	235	44.3%
2022	50.80	104^th	249	58.2%
2023	38.15	156^th	253	38.3%
2024	31.70	179^th	248	27.8%

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

Rank History for White students at St. Stephen Middle

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	3.78	257^th	258	0.4%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for White 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

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Enrollment information for St. Stephen Middle

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	53	312	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	365
1989	49	312	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	361
1990	40	322	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	363
1991	31	308	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	339
1992	25	331	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	356
1993	49	347	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	396
1994	62	357	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	420
1995	41	326	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	368
1996	41	326	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	368
1997	43	316	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	360
1998	62	315	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	378
1999	72	305	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	381
2000	61	298	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	361
2001	39	267	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	309
2002	44	256	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	304
2003	44	256	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	304
2004	37	250	0	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	290
2005	41	285	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	328
2006	39	267	0	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	308
2007	39	251	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	296
2008	26	237	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	1	268
2009	32	199	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	235
2010	27	195	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	226
2011	29	201	0	4	2	0	1	0	237
2012	26	210	0	3	1	0	2	0	242
2013	31	218	0	3	1	0	2	0	255
2014	38	225	1	3	0	0	1	0	268
2015	37	208	1	6	0	0	3	0	255
2016	35	201	1	7	0	0	6	0	250
2017	31	189	3	8	0	1	2	0	234
2018	40	166	3	6	0	0	5	0	220
2019	51	163	3	3	0	0	2	0	222
2020	49	154	1	4	0	0	1	0	209
2021	57	162	2	4	0	0	4	0	229
2022	50	150	1	6	0	0	6	0	213
2023	41	154	1	7	0	0	6	0	209
2024	38	131	0	3	0	0	10	0	182

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 St. Stephen Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	365	20.5	17.8	n/a
1989	361	20.7	17.4	n/a
1990	363	22.8	15.9	n/a
1991	339	21.9	15.4	60.2
1992	356	24.3	14.6	60.7
1993	396	19.1	20.7	69.7
1994	420	22.0	19.1	71.7
1995	368	23.0	16.0	75.3
1996	368	23.0	16.0	75.3
1997	360	23.0	15.7	72.2
1998	378	21.0	18.0	80.4
1999	381	22.5	16.9	85.8
2000	361	24.0	15.0	86.4
2001	309	21.8	14.2	87.7
2002	304	21.0	14.5	89.5
2003	304	21.0	14.5	89.5
2004	290	16.0	18.1	90.3
2005	328	18.0	18.2	88.1
2006	308	20.0	15.4	88.3
2007	296	39.0	7.6	90.5
2008	268	19.8	13.5	90.3
2009	235	16.8	14.0	94.5
2010	226	18.5	12.2	86.7
2011	237	14.0	16.9	95.8
2012	242	16.5	14.6	95.9
2013	255	17.0	15.0	95.3
2014	268	16.0	16.7	94.8
2015	255	16.0	15.9	97.6
2016	250	17.0	14.7	94.4
2017	234	18.0	13.0	100
2018	220	19.0	11.5	100
2019	222	16.0	13.8	100
2020	209	16.0	13.0	100
2021	229	19.0	12.0	100
2022	213	15.7	13.5	100
2023	209	16.0	13.0	100
2024	182	18.5	9.8	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 St. Stephen Middle

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	365	20.5	17.8	n/a
1989	361	20.7	17.4	n/a
1990	363	22.8	15.9	n/a
1991	339	21.9	15.4	60.2
1992	356	24.3	14.6	60.7
1993	396	19.1	20.7	69.7
1994	420	22.0	19.1	71.7
1995	368	23.0	16.0	75.3
1996	368	23.0	16.0	75.3
1997	360	23.0	15.7	72.2
1998	378	21.0	18.0	80.4
1999	381	22.5	16.9	85.8
2000	361	24.0	15.0	86.4
2001	309	21.8	14.2	87.7
2002	304	21.0	14.5	89.5
2003	304	21.0	14.5	89.5
2004	290	16.0	18.1	90.3
2005	328	18.0	18.2	88.1
2006	308	20.0	15.4	88.3
2007	296	39.0	7.6	90.5
2008	268	19.8	13.5	90.3
2009	235	16.8	14.0	94.5
2010	226	18.5	12.2	86.7
2011	237	14.0	16.9	95.8
2012	242	16.5	14.6	95.9
2013	255	17.0	15.0	95.3
2014	268	16.0	16.7	94.8
2015	255	16.0	15.9	97.6
2016	250	17.0	14.7	94.4
2017	234	18.0	13.0	100
2018	220	19.0	11.5	100
2019	222	16.0	13.8	100
2020	209	16.0	13.0	100
2021	229	19.0	12.0	100
2022	213	15.7	13.5	100
2023	209	16.0	13.0	100
2024	182	18.5	9.8	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 St. Stephen 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	$1,667 (10.8%)	$792 (5.1%)	$2,459 (15.9%)	$11,300 (73.3%)	$1,659 (10.8%)	$12,960 (84.1%)	$15,419
2020	$884 (5.2%)	$279 (1.7%)	$1,163 (6.9%)	$13,773 (81.7%)	$1,920 (11.4%)	$15,692 (93.1%)	$16,855
2021	$1,200 (8.1%)	$593 (4.0%)	$1,793 (12.1%)	$12,501 (84.2%)	$555 (3.7%)	$13,056 (87.9%)	$14,849
2022	$1,430 (8.7%)	$1,145 (7.0%)	$2,576 (15.7%)	$12,224 (74.6%)	$1,597 (9.7%)	$13,821 (84.3%)	$16,397
2023	$2,254 (12.5%)	$1,041 (5.8%)	$3,295 (18.2%)	$12,961 (71.6%)	$1,836 (10.1%)	$14,797 (81.8%)	$18,092

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on St. Stephen 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 219^th of 315 Middle schools	Ranks 261^st of 325 Middle schools	10.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Science (St. Stephen Middle)	42.7	21.5	21.2%
6th Grade Science (Berkeley 01)	49.4	38.5	10.9%
6th Grade Science (South Carolina)	47.1	43	4.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (St. Stephen Middle)	32	34.3	2.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Berkeley 01)	43.5	49.8	6.3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	41.1	53.4	12.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (St. Stephen Middle)	44	11.5	32.5%
6th Grade Mathematics (Berkeley 01)	41.4	27.4	14%
6th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	43.9	36.7	7.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (St. Stephen Middle)	28.1	31.6	3.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Berkeley 01)	46.1	45.6	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	44	50.1	6.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (St. Stephen Middle)	14.1	14	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Berkeley 01)	34.3	24.5	9.8%
7th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	35.3	31	4.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (St. Stephen Middle)	35.7	46	10.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Berkeley 01)	45.9	49.4	3.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	44.5	53.1	8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (St. Stephen Middle)	16.1	12.2	3.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Berkeley 01)	32.3	21.4	10.9%
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	222	209	5.9%
African American	163	154	5.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	3	1	66.7%
Hispanic	3	7	133.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	51	41	19.6%
Two or More Races	2	6	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near St. Stephen 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)			EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (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	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	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
St. Stephen Middle	Public	6-8	225 Carolina Avenue	Saint Stephen	29479	Berkeley County	Berkeley 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 567-3128	182	19	9.8	100.0%	38 (20.9%)	131 (72.0%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (5.5%)	14.7	286^th of 325 public middle schools	12.0%		19.7	261^st of 325 public middle schools	19.7%	25	37.2	34.9	36.9	7.9	3.2	7.1		$18,092	$2,254	$1,041	$3,295	$12,961	$1,836	$14,797
Macedonia Middle	Public	6-8	200 Macedonia Foxes Circle	Moncks Corner	29461	Berkeley County	Berkeley 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 899-8940	403	27	14.9	100.0%	288 (71.5%)	74 (18.4%)	10 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.9%)	36.8	197^th of 325 public middle schools	39.4%		39.4	192^nd of 325 public middle schools	40.9%	5	58.5	50.4	39.8	17.1	26.1	9.4	73.0	$14,907	$2,292	$778	$3,071	$10,290	$1,546	$11,836
C. E. Murray Middle	Public	6-8	222-A C.E. Murray Boulevard	Greeleyville	29056	Williamsburg County	Williamsburg 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 426-2121	146	13	11.6	97.9%	7 (4.8%)	135 (92.5%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	26.8	239^th of 325 public middle schools	26.5%		13.7	289^th of 325 public middle schools	11.1%	50	54.6	43.2	40.7	18.2	9.0	3.8		$11,581	$1,374	$2,935	$4,308	$5,551	$1,721	$7,273
Berkeley Middle	Public	6-8	320 North Live Oak Drive	Moncks Corner	29461	Berkeley County	Berkeley 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 899-8840	1,345	63	21.3	75.5%	585 (43.5%)	514 (38.2%)	120 (8.9%)	9 (0.7%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	113 (8.4%)	29.8	227^th of 325 public middle schools	30.2%		27.1	238^th of 325 public middle schools	26.8%	11	45.8	41.1	40.2	27.5	18.3	14.0	92.2	$9,550	$499	$681	$1,180	$6,877	$1,494	$8,370
Kingstree Middle Magnet	Public, Magnet	6-8	710 Third Avenue	Kingstree	29556	Williamsburg County	Williamsburg 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 355-1506	365	22	16.5	100.0%	23 (6.3%)	323 (88.5%)	7 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.7%)	32.4	216^th of 325 public middle schools	33.5%		19.6	262^nd of 325 public middle schools	19.4%	46	41.1	41.4	50.0	25.0	14.4	19.1		$12,065	$1,588	$2,897	$4,485	$5,697	$1,883	$7,580

St. Stephen Middle

St. Stephen Middle:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Berkeley 01:

What do you think?

Rank History for St. Stephen Middle

Rank History for all students at St. Stephen Middle

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at St. Stephen Middle

Rank History for Female students at St. Stephen Middle

Rank History for Male students at St. Stephen Middle

Rank History for African American students at St. Stephen Middle

Rank History for White students at St. Stephen Middle

Enrollment information for St. Stephen Middle

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at St. Stephen Middle

Student/Teacher Ratio St. Stephen Middle

Per Pupil Expenditures for St. Stephen Middle

Impact of COVID-19 on St. Stephen Middle

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near St. Stephen Middle