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LaurensscPhoto: Gpeytoncrowder · CC BY-SA 4.0
C−
Schools in Laurens · Laurens School District 55

Laurens’s public schools score below 76% of South Carolina districts on tests and graduation

On the state math tests, 25% of Laurens’s students scored proficient, below the South Carolina average (41%). The grade covers the public school district serving Laurens, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within South Carolina, not nationally.

#152of 169 South Carolina townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From South Carolina state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
38%
▼ 14 pts vs SC 52%
2021–22
Math proficiency
25%
▼ 16 pts vs SC 41%
2021–22
Graduate on time
81%
▼ 3 pts vs SC 84%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$15.5K
▲ 3% vs SC $15.1K
FY2024
Students per teacher
10.9
SC 14.3 · smaller classes
Schools in town
4
2,969 students on the public path
In brief

Laurens’s schools, in brief

Results trail the state

In spring 2022, 38% of tested students were proficient in reading and 25% in math, against 52% and 41% statewide; 100% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

81% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 84% across South Carolina. Districts ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $15,531 per student, against $15,090 across South Carolina (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Two elementary schools, then two middle and one high school

Which school depends on the address at every step. Enrollment is down 7% since 2020–21. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Laurens’s grade

C− Test scoresC− Graduation

C−: better than 24% of South Carolina school districts, #152 of 169 South Carolina towns. Both inputs trail the South Carolina average; graduation is the closer of the two to typical.

South Carolina school districts we grade (92)Better than 24%
Lower resultsHigher results
South Carolina towns with similar household incomes (196)Better than 23%
C−CA fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 2,786 test results and a graduating class of 392 could put Laurens anywhere from C− to C. The tests are from spring 2022, when 100% of Laurens’s students in the tested grades sat them (2,778 in math, 2,793 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Laurens, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
PK–52 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressD to C
6–82 middle schoolsDepends on your addressD to C−
9–12Laurens District 55 HighLaurens School District 55B

Laurens’s public schools are run by Laurens School District 55, which also serves Gray Court and Waterloo. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Laurens School District 55Grades PK–12 · 9 schools · 4,984 students, down 7% since 2020–21 · 10.9 per teacher (SC 14.3)
$15,531SC $15,090 · FY2024
C−
Test scores · 2021–22

Well below the state in reading

Reading38%
State average 52.1% · 2793 students tested
Math25%
State average 41% · 2778 students tested

Laurens vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the South Carolina towns that share Laurens’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
LaurensC−Laurens School District 55

Every school in Laurens

5 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with South Carolina’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Laurensby address
Laurens Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5
C
465 students10:1Rate it →
E. B. Morse Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–5
D
447 students12:1Rate it →
Laurens Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8
C−
373 students11:1Rate it →
Sanders Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8
D
250 students8:1Rate it →
Also serving Laurensin other towns
Laurens District 55 High
High · Grades 9–12
B
1,434 students12:1Rate it →

Questions about Laurens’s schools

Are Laurens’s schools good?

On South Carolina’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Laurens children attend score below 76% of South Carolina’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C− Schools grade, #152 of 169 South Carolina towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 23%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Laurens in?

Laurens School District 55, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 4,984 students in 9 schools (2024–25).

Where do Laurens kids go to high school?

Laurens District 55 High, with 1,434 students; its own test results earn a B.

What is Laurens’s graduation rate?

81% of the class of 2023 in Laurens School District 55 graduated in four years, against 84% across South Carolina.

How much does Laurens spend per student?

$15,531 in Laurens School District 55 (FY2024), against $15,090 across South Carolina. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Laurens families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Laurens → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within South Carolina. Stars are from neighbors.