The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in Social studies. The lowest is 24% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Gordon Elementary
Gordon Elementary serves fourth and fifth graders in Dillon, a small county-seat town in the Pee Dee region of northeastern South Carolina. The school is part of Dillon School District Four and is a regular public school. It does not serve younger elementary grades or middle or high school, so there is no graduation rate or secondary-level course data to report.
The student body of about this size for an upper-elementary school is majority Black, with a smaller share of White students and notable Hispanic and multiracial populations. Every student in the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need in the community. Dillon itself has seen population decline in recent years, though the area has continued to attract investment in manufacturing, distribution, and logistics, partly due to its Interstate 95 location. Housing costs in the area are well below national and state benchmarks, making the town relatively affordable for families.
State testing results from the 2024-25 school year show that a minority of students scored at the proficient level in math, English language arts, and science. In math, less than a third of fourth graders and roughly a quarter of fifth graders met the proficiency standard. In ELA, the share was higher but still under half: around a third of fourth graders and somewhat more than a third of fifth graders were proficient. Science results for fourth graders showed about a quarter proficient. A social studies assessment from 2018-19 is also in the data, but that test used a different proficiency scale and a different assessment name, so it does not offer a current picture.
Compared to other districts in Dillon County, Gordon Elementary's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile. Only one other district in the county had comparable proficiency data, so the comparison set is small. A parent may want to ask the school about targeted support programs, given that the performance levels are lower than those seen in other local districts.
The school does not have reported data on the share of students with disabilities or English learners, nor on chronic absenteeism or discipline. Those gaps may reflect reporting differences, but they also limit a full picture of student support. No recent district-wide changes of lasting impact were found in publicly available sources, so the area's educational landscape appears stable in terms of policy direction.
For a family considering this school, the main considerations are the high level of economic need among the student population, the modest academic outcomes on state assessments, and the affordable housing context of Dillon. The school is a straightforward upper-elementary option within a small-town district that has not seen major disruptions or reforms in recent years.
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