Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Summary:

Bethune-Bowman Middle/High is a public school located in Rowesville, South Carolina, serving grades 6-12 with a student population of 374. The school is part of the Orangeburg School District, which is ranked 65 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bethune-Bowman Middle/High consistently ranks in the bottom quarter of South Carolina high schools, with its performance on state assessments significantly below the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics ranged from 21.8% to 22.4%, compared to the state averages of 50.2% to 53.7%. The school's performance is particularly low for male students, African American students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with rankings in the bottom quarter of the state for these subgroups.

While Bethune-Bowman Middle/High serves a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population, with 100% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, its per-student spending is lower than the nearby schools, such as Lake Marion High ($15,472) and Calhoun County High ($15,991). This suggests that the school may not be receiving adequate funding or resources to support its students, despite the significant challenges they face. Nearby schools, such as Branchville High, which is 11.42 miles away, generally perform better than Bethune-Bowman Middle/High on state assessments and have higher rankings, indicating that there may be systemic inequities within the district or state education system that are contributing to the school's underperformance.

Detail:

Public 6-12

4857 Charleston Highway
Rowesville, SC 29133

(803) 516-6011

District: Orangeburg

SchoolDigger Rank:
227^th of 235 South Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,752

Feeder schools for Bethune-Bowman Middle/High:

Elementary:

Bethune-Bowman Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 374

Racial breakdown:

African American:

79.1%

Hispanic:

13.1%

White:

6.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated South Carolina high schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bethune-Bowman Middle/High ranks worse than 99.7% of middle schools in South Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.55. (See more...)

Compare Details Bethune-Bowman Middle/High ranks worse than 96.6% of high schools in South Carolina. It also ranks last among 7 ranked high schools in the Orangeburg School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 6.64. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 Bethune-Bowman Middle/High has the largest high school student body size in the Orangeburg School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High is $12,752. 4 high schools in the Orangeburg School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bethune-Bowman Middle/High:

SchoolDigger ranks Bethune-Bowman Middle/High 324^th of 325 South Carolina public middle schools. (See Bethune-Bowman Middle/High in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

SchoolDigger ranks Bethune-Bowman Middle/High 227^th of 235 South Carolina public high schools. (See Bethune-Bowman Middle/High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Orangeburg:

SchoolDigger ranks Orangeburg 65^th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

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Rank History for all middle school students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	9.68	297^th	310	4.2%
2023	7.09	318^th	325	2.2%
2024	6.55	324^th	325	0.3%

See the entire list of South Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	14.50	279^th	300	7.0%
2023	9.29	306^th	313	2.2%
2024	8.41	305^th	307	0.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	11.11	273^rd	290	5.9%
2023	9.14	286^th	299	4.3%
2024	6.44	291^st	294	1.0%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	8.82	284^th	292	2.7%
2023	6.65	299^th	303	1.3%
2024	7.49	289^th	294	1.7%

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

Rank History for middle school African American students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	23.86	210^th	249	15.7%
2023	15.33	242^nd	253	4.3%
2024	16.29	234^th	248	5.6%

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

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

Rank History for Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

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Rank History for all high school students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SC State Percentile
2021	21.74	173^rd	227	23.8%
2022	10.20	207^th	226	8.4%
2023	23.74	175^th	237	26.2%
2024	6.64	227^th	235	3.4%

See the entire list of South Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	16.20	196^th	220	10.9%
2023	33.94	147^th	226	35.0%
2024	9.95	218^th	229	4.8%

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

Rank History for high school Female students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	15.25	195^th	220	11.4%
2023	38.38	130^th	223	41.7%
2024	18.48	186^th	225	17.3%

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

Rank History for high school Male students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	8.00	210^th	224	6.3%
2023	15.48	196^th	229	14.4%
2024	3.93	227^th	228	0.4%

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

Rank History for high school African American students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	26.28	151^st	190	20.5%
2023	42.10	106^th	199	46.7%
2024	14.35	182^nd	194	6.2%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina High 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 State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2020	20	282	0	33	0	335
2021	25	296	0	36	3	360
2022	26	287	1	42	0	356
2023	23	296	2	49	4	374

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 Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	335	22.5	14.8	100
2021	360	22.4	16.0	100
2022	356	23.0	15.4	100
2023	374	25.2	14.8	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 Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	335	22.5	14.8	100
2021	360	22.4	16.0	100
2022	356	23.0	15.4	100
2023	374	25.2	14.8	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 Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

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	$919 (6.8%)	$289 (2.1%)	$1,208 (8.9%)	$10,909 (80.7%)	$1,402 (10.4%)	$12,310 (91.1%)	$13,518
2021	$580 (3.7%)	$499 (3.2%)	$1,078 (6.9%)	$11,659 (74.4%)	$2,927 (18.7%)	$14,586 (93.1%)	$15,664
2022	$1,253 (8.6%)	$1,340 (9.2%)	$2,593 (17.9%)	$10,747 (74.1%)	$1,171 (8.1%)	$11,918 (82.1%)	$14,510
2023	$1,406 (11.0%)	$875 (6.9%)	$2,281 (17.9%)	$9,218 (72.3%)	$1,253 (9.8%)	$10,471 (82.1%)	$12,752

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Schools Near Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

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)	EOCEP English 1 (2024)	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution (2024)	EOCEP English 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	EOCEP English 1 End of Course	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution End of Course	EOCEP English 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
Bethune-Bowman Middle/High	Public	6-12	4857 Charleston Highway	Rowesville	29133	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 516-6011	374	25	14.8	100.0%	23 (6.1%)	296 (79.1%)	49 (13.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	6.6	227^th of 235 public high schools	3.4%		23.7	175^th of 237 public high schools	26.2%	52	22.4	22.4	21.8	4.0	6.0	7.3	54.2	34.4	23.4	63.6	$12,752	$1,406	$875	$2,281	$9,218	$1,253	$10,471
Orangeburg Wilkinson High	Public	9-12	601 Bruin Parkway	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 534-6180	1,073	60	18.0	100.0%	18 (1.7%)	986 (91.9%)	47 (4.4%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	15 (1.4%)	13.9	209^th of 235 public high schools	11.1%		5.8	229^th of 237 public high schools	3.4%	20							32.3	29.1	32.8	82.1	$12,895	$1,282	$678	$1,960	$9,511	$1,425	$10,935
The Orangeburg Career & Technology Center	Public	9-12	3720 Magnolia Street	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg 81	No	No	No	No	(803) 536-4473	0	12	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
OCSD High School for Health Professions	Public, Charter	9-12	130 Howard Hill Drive	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Limestone Charters Association	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 535-1693	404	28	14.4	0.7%	4 (1.0%)	377 (93.3%)	12 (3.0%)	9 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	48.7	105^th of 235 public high schools	55.3%		56.2	85^th of 237 public high schools	64.1%	20							65.3	71.3	30.6	93.4
Branchville High	Public	6-12	1349 Dorange Road	Branchville	29432	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 274-8875	316	23	13.5	100.0%	227 (71.8%)	74 (23.4%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	60.8	72^nd of 235 public high schools	69.4%		20.5	185^th of 237 public high schools	21.9%	113	78.1	58.0	71.8	75.6	40.0	41.3	73.3	62.7	66.7	91.9	$12,488	$1,083	$751	$1,834	$9,439	$1,215	$10,654
Edisto High	Public	9-12	500 R.M. Foster Drive	Cordova	29039	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 536-1553	677	42	15.9	100.0%	263 (38.8%)	348 (51.4%)	41 (6.1%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.0%)	14.3	207^th of 235 public high schools	11.9%		37.4	139^th of 237 public high schools	41.4%	68							45.8	39.8	45.3	73.7	$12,600	$1,056	$588	$1,644	$9,367	$1,589	$10,956
Lake Marion Technology Center	Public	9-12	3656 Tee Vee Road	Santee	29142	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 854-9213	0	12	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Lake Marion High School	Public	9-12	3656 Tee Vee Road	Santee	29142	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 854-9213	692	44	15.7	100.0%	62 (9.0%)	593 (85.7%)	23 (3.3%)	5 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.3%)	12.2	213^th of 235 public high schools	9.4%		7	227^th of 237 public high schools	4.2%	14							64.8	35.1	28.6	72.0	$15,472	$1,442	$884	$2,326	$11,297	$1,849	$13,145
Cope Area Career Center	Public	9-12	6052 Slab Landing Road	Cope	29038	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg 80	No	No	No	No	(803) 534-7661	0	6	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Bamberg-Ehrhardt High	Public	9-12	267 Red Raider Drive	Bamberg	29003	Bamberg County	Bamberg 03	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 245-3030	357	27	13.2	34.7%	137 (38.4%)	200 (56.0%)	12 (3.4%)	4 (1.1%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	36.8	142^nd of 235 public high schools	39.6%		41.2	127^th of 237 public high schools	46.4%	15							72.7	57.3	41.2	82.6

Frequently Asked Questions about Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

What district is Bethune-Bowman Middle/High in?

Orangeburg

What schools feed into Bethune-Bowman Middle/High?

Bethune-Bowman Middle/High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bethune-Bowman Elementary

How many students attend Bethune-Bowman Middle/High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 374 students attended Bethune-Bowman Middle/High.

Is Bethune-Bowman Middle/High a good school?

Bethune-Bowman Middle/High ranks in the bottom 3.4% of South Carolina high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Bethune-Bowman Middle/High?

Students at Bethune-Bowman Middle/High are 79% African American, 13% Hispanic, 6% White, 1% Two or more races.

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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.