Rollings Middle School of the Arts, Summerville SC

Original Research by School Decision on Rollings Middle School of the Arts

Rollings Middle School of the Arts sits in Summerville, a fast-growing suburban town that anchors the Charleston metropolitan area. The school serves grades six through eight and, as its name suggests, positions arts as a central identity, though the available data does not detail which specific programs or pathways that entails. The school is a regular public school within Dorchester School District Two, and it is not a charter or a magnet by the classifications reported.

Academically, this school performs at a level that stands out clearly against its peers. On South Carolina’s state assessments, students posted proficiency rates in English language arts that topped each tested grade, with results that a parent would likely consider strong across the board. Math proficiency was also high, though a bit lower than ELA, and science results matched the ELA pattern in the only grade where that subject was tested in the most recent year. Social studies data is older and came from a different assessment, so it is less directly comparable, but it too showed very high performance. When placed against other districts in Dorchester County, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the top tier, a position that reflects consistent strength across subjects and grades. Because the school is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to examine; state testing participation rates were also not reported in the data provided.

The student body numbers about the size one would expect for a middle school serving three grades. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that the school draws from a range of economic backgrounds. The student population is majority white, with notable Black, Hispanic, and multiracial groups, as well as smaller Asian and other racial groups. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source material, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

Summerville itself has a historic downtown with a walkable core and a major annual festival, but the town is largely auto-oriented suburban development shaped by rapid growth. It is one of the fastest-growing towns in South Carolina, with population increasing noticeably in recent years, and housing values in the area are above the national median. Rents have been rising, and the typical mortgage payment on a median-priced home would require income well above average. This growth context matters: Dorchester School District Two has opened a new middle school to keep up with enrollment, and families moving into the area will find a district that is actively expanding its facilities.

The school is located on a campus away from downtown, as is typical for Summerville schools. The district operates multiple high schools and a range of elementary and middle schools to serve the corridor. For a family considering this school, the academic picture is the headline: consistent, above-average performance that holds up across tested subjects. The arts focus in the name suggests an emphasis that a parent would want to explore further by visiting or talking to current families, since definitive program details were not part of the data available here. The school environment, discipline rates, staffing ratios, and course access information were also absent, leaving those as open questions for a prospective family to investigate with the school directly.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 684%

School 84% · District 45% · ▲ 39 pts above district

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 51 pts above county median

Grade 774%

School 74% · District 41% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 47 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

Grade 877%

School 77% · District 39% · ▲ 38 pts above district

▲ 51 pts above state median · ▲ 58 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 691%

School 91% · District 63% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 788%

School 88% · District 66% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 885%

School 85% · District 58% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Science

Grade 687%

School 87% · District 57% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 43 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 797%

School 97% · District 75% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median

This schoolDorchester 02, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income78%Higher-income95%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income79%Higher-income92%13 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income82%Higher-income87%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income75%Higher-income88%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income61%Higher-income80%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income74%Higher-income79%5 pp gap