Darlington Middle

Summary:

Darlington Middle is a public middle school serving 919 students in grades 6-8 in Darlington, South Carolina, which is part of the Darlington 01 school district. Despite increased per-student spending, the school has consistently underperformed compared to state and district averages, with low proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Darlington Middle's academic challenges are compounded by significant achievement gaps between racial and socioeconomic subgroups, as well as its high poverty rate, with all students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Darlington Middle's performance is generally lower than nearby schools in the Darlington 01 district, such as Hartsville Middle and Spaulding Middle, as well as schools in the Florence 01 district. The school's ranking among South Carolina middle schools has remained relatively stagnant over the past decade, consistently ranking in the bottom half of the state with a 2-star rating.

The wide achievement gaps between racial and socioeconomic subgroups at Darlington Middle are particularly concerning, with the school's African American students performing better than the overall student population, but its White and multi-racial students struggling. This suggests the need for targeted interventions and support to address these inequities. Additionally, the increased per-student spending has not translated into improved academic outcomes, raising questions about the effectiveness of the school's resource allocation and the need to ensure that funding is being directed towards evidence-based strategies that can drive student success.


Detail:

Public, Magnet 6-8

 150 Pinedale Drive
       Darlington, SC  29532


(843) 398-5088

District: Darlington 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
204th of 325 South Carolina Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,059 Help


Students who attend Darlington Middle usually attend:

High:    Darlington High

Feeder schools for Darlington Middle:

Elementary:    Brockington Elementary
    J. L. Cain Elementary
    Pate Elementary
    St. John's Elementary

Student/teacher ratio:  13.9 Help
Number of students:  919

Racial breakdown:

African American:
59.6%
White:
24.3%
Two or more races:
10.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Darlington Middle ranks worse than 62.8% of middle schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 2nd among 3 ranked middle schools in the Darlington 01 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.42. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Darlington Middle has the largest middle school student body size in the Darlington 01 School District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Darlington Middle is $14,059. 1 middle schools in the Darlington 01 School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Darlington Middle:

SchoolDigger ranks Darlington Middle 204th of 325 South Carolina public middle schools. (See Darlington Middle in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Darlington 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Darlington 01 41st of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Darlington Middle

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Darlington Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 20.41 194th 225 13.8%
2004 29.64 177th 230 23.0%
2005 36.16 163rd 230 29.1%
2006 33.13 169th 231 26.8%
2007 41.53 156th 236 33.9%
2008 39.07 168th 244 31.1%
2009 25.01 205th 249 17.7%
2010 41.39 177th 261 32.2%
2011 38.51 188th 269 30.1%
2012 41.33 180th 271 33.6%
2013 36.52 193rd 276 30.1%
2014 34.30 207th 291 28.9%
2015 30.22 222nd 301 26.2%
2016 40.00 193rd 303 36.3%
2017 34.59 212th 317 33.1%
2018 36.60 193rd 303 36.3%
2019 36.32 203rd 315 35.6%
2021 29.67 215th 311 30.9%
2022 37.19 188th 310 39.4%
2023 37.83 199th 325 38.8%
2024 35.42 204th 325 37.2%
See the entire list of South Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Darlington Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 21.03 35th 39 10.3%
2021 36.24 16th 25 36.0%
2022 40.79 27th 44 38.6%
2023 39.51 39th 58 32.8%
2024 29.89 38th 52 26.9%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Darlington Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.30 132nd 280 52.9%
2019 47.37 145th 289 49.8%
2021 38.97 166th 288 42.4%
2022 44.55 148th 300 50.7%
2023 47.14 146th 313 53.4%
2024 42.17 166th 307 45.9%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Darlington Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.26 176th 281 37.4%
2019 40.71 181st 296 38.9%
2021 30.04 195th 279 30.1%
2022 37.71 175th 290 39.7%
2023 38.19 183rd 299 38.8%
2024 36.91 188th 294 36.1%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Darlington Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.73 92nd 194 52.6%
2019 39.69 113th 195 42.1%
2021 27.91 130th 164 20.7%
2022 44.80 94th 183 48.6%
2023 31.80 131st 187 29.9%
2024 37.96 110th 177 37.9%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Darlington Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 33.83 140th 179 21.8%
2022 61.38 79th 182 56.6%
2023 50.79 116th 185 37.3%
2024 63.11 88th 183 51.9%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Darlington Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.66 187th 284 34.2%
2019 31.84 210th 296 29.1%
2021 28.37 198th 279 29.0%
2022 36.23 188th 292 35.6%
2023 36.72 186th 303 38.6%
2024 32.58 194th 294 34.0%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Darlington Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 59.16 73rd 237 69.2%
2019 52.65 100th 252 60.3%
2021 46.94 112th 235 52.3%
2022 56.55 81st 249 67.5%
2023 57.40 83rd 253 67.2%
2024 59.00 76th 248 69.4%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Darlington Middle

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 33.83 165th 250 34.0%
2019 40.52 149th 258 42.2%
2021 28.23 175th 244 28.3%
2022 32.03 172nd 249 30.9%
2023 40.67 155th 260 40.4%
2024 30.65 183rd 255 28.2%
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.

Darlington Middle Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: South Carolina State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Darlington Middle

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1995 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 796 796
1996 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 796 796
1997 286 466 3 1 0 n/a n/a 0 756
1998 264 483 3 2 0 n/a n/a 0 752
1999 275 485 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 763
2000 266 514 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 784
2001 276 514 2 5 1 n/a n/a 0 798
2002 296 545 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 843
2003 296 545 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 843
2004 316 572 2 4 2 n/a n/a 0 896
2005 321 578 1 5 1 n/a n/a 0 906
2006 261 618 0 3 4 n/a n/a 0 886
2007 367 823 3 7 6 n/a n/a 0 1206
2008 381 721 3 4 4 n/a n/a 2 1115
2009 353 686 2 5 1 n/a n/a 2 1049
2010 372 642 2 7 2 n/a n/a 2 1027
2011 380 658 1 10 1 1 9 0 1060
2012 391 691 1 10 1 1 12 0 1107
2013 393 660 1 12 3 0 14 0 1083
2014 386 616 0 8 2 0 24 0 1036
2015 366 615 1 20 3 0 22 0 1027
2016 358 587 3 28 2 0 27 0 1005
2017 351 580 3 32 2 0 23 0 991
2018 342 562 4 38 4 1 22 0 973
2019 321 596 2 43 0 0 55 0 1017
2020 319 584 3 34 0 1 86 0 1027
2021 296 576 4 35 0 1 108 0 1020
2022 267 541 4 33 0 0 97 0 942
2023 223 548 2 49 0 0 97 0 919

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 Darlington Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 796 54.0 14.7 52.3
1996 796 54.0 14.7 52.3
1997 756 56.0 13.5 57
1998 752 56.0 13.4 55.9
1999 763 53.0 14.4 66.1
2000 784 53.0 14.8 68.4
2001 798 53.0 15.1 68.5
2002 843 54.0 15.6 68.7
2003 843 54.0 15.6 68.7
2004 896 53.0 16.9 72.7
2005 906 51.0 17.8 73.3
2006 886 51.0 17.4 74.2
2007 1206 100.0 12.1 75.5
2008 1115 69.0 16.2 74.4
2009 1049 66.0 15.9 71.4
2010 1027 65.0 15.8 77.8
2011 1060 60.0 17.6 78.5
2012 1107 57.0 19.4 78.1
2013 1083 57.0 19.0 77.4
2014 1036 55.0 18.8 78.9
2015 1027 54.0 19.0 90.8
2016 1005 55.0 18.2 100
2017 991 56.0 17.6 100
2018 973 59.0 16.4 100
2019 1017 58.0 17.5 100
2020 1027 58.0 17.7 100
2021 1020 58.0 17.5 100
2022 942 66.0 14.2 100
2023 919 66.0 13.9 100

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 Darlington Middle

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1995 796 54.0 14.7 52.3
1996 796 54.0 14.7 52.3
1997 756 56.0 13.5 57
1998 752 56.0 13.4 55.9
1999 763 53.0 14.4 66.1
2000 784 53.0 14.8 68.4
2001 798 53.0 15.1 68.5
2002 843 54.0 15.6 68.7
2003 843 54.0 15.6 68.7
2004 896 53.0 16.9 72.7
2005 906 51.0 17.8 73.3
2006 886 51.0 17.4 74.2
2007 1206 100.0 12.1 75.5
2008 1115 69.0 16.2 74.4
2009 1049 66.0 15.9 71.4
2010 1027 65.0 15.8 77.8
2011 1060 60.0 17.6 78.5
2012 1107 57.0 19.4 78.1
2013 1083 57.0 19.0 77.4
2014 1036 55.0 18.8 78.9
2015 1027 54.0 19.0 90.8
2016 1005 55.0 18.2 100
2017 991 56.0 17.6 100
2018 973 59.0 16.4 100
2019 1017 58.0 17.5 100
2020 1027 58.0 17.7 100
2021 1020 58.0 17.5 100
2022 942 66.0 14.2 100
2023 919 66.0 13.9 100

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 Darlington Middle

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $979 (10.3%) $485 (5.1%) $1,464 (15.4%) $7,010 (73.6%) $1,047 (11.0%) $8,057 (84.6%) $9,521
2020 $824 (8.5%) $430 (4.4%) $1,255 (13.0%) $7,247 (75.0%) $1,163 (12.0%) $8,410 (87.0%) $9,665
2021 $848 (8.3%) $508 (5.0%) $1,356 (13.3%) $7,689 (75.3%) $1,172 (11.5%) $8,861 (86.7%) $10,217
2022 $1,237 (11.5%) $945 (8.8%) $2,181 (20.3%) $7,388 (68.8%) $1,172 (10.9%) $8,560 (79.7%) $10,741
2023 $1,907 (13.6%) $1,647 (11.7%) $3,554 (25.3%) $9,230 (65.7%) $1,275 (9.1%) $10,505 (74.7%) $14,059

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Darlington 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 203rd of 315 Middle schoolsRanks 199th of 325 Middle schools
 3.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Science (Darlington Middle)40.531.3
 9.2%
   6th Grade Science (Darlington 01)42.434.1
 8.3%
   6th Grade Science (South Carolina)47.143
 4.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Darlington Middle)27.438.5
 11.1%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Darlington 01)2940.9
 11.9%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)41.153.4
 12.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Darlington Middle)23.728.6
 4.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Darlington 01)3328.2
 4.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)43.936.7
 7.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Darlington Middle)3337.5
 4.5%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Darlington 01)34.837.2
 2.4%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)4450.1
 6.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Darlington Middle)32.225.5
 6.7%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Darlington 01)29.722.5
 7.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)35.331
 4.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Darlington Middle)35.344.3
 9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Darlington 01)37.546.6
 9.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)44.553.1
 8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Darlington Middle)22.934.7
 11.8%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Darlington 01)29.429.1
 0.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)36.631.6
 5%
End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (Darlington Middle)92.796.1
 3.4%
   End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (Darlington 01)65.964.2
 1.7%
   End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (South Carolina)68.668.3
 0.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students1017919
 9.6%
African American596548
 8.1%
American Indian00
Asian22
Hispanic4349
 14%
Pacific Islander00
White321223
 30.5%
Two or More Races5597
 76.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Darlington Middle

Students at Darlington Middle are 60% African American, 24% White, 11% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

Darlington Middle ranks 204th of 325 South Carolina middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students who attend Darlington Middle usually go on to attend Darlington High

In the 2022-23 school year, 919 students attended Darlington Middle.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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