Henry L. Sneed Middle, Florence SC

Original Research by School Decision on Henry L. Sneed Middle

Henry L. Sneed Middle serves sixth through eighth grade in Florence, South Carolina, as part of the Florence 1 district. The school sits within a mid-sized regional hub that functions as the financial, medical, and service center for the Pee Dee area. Florence’s economy relies heavily on healthcare, manufacturing, and distribution, and the city has invested substantially in downtown redevelopment, including a new library, a performing arts center, and a museum. The school is a regular public school.

The student body is sizable for a middle school, and the composition is diverse. A substantial majority of the students are Black, with a smaller share of white students and modest numbers of Hispanic and multiracial students. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

State assessment results present a mixed picture. In English language arts, proficiency rates across sixth, seventh, and eighth grades cluster around the middle of the scale, with roughly half of students scoring at the proficient or above level in each grade. In math, proficiency rates are considerably lower across all three grades, with the eighth-grade rate higher than sixth and seventh grade but still below half. Science results for sixth grade were also below half proficient. These numbers come from a single year of testing data; trend information is not yet available to show whether these levels are improving or declining. The school’s overall proficiency, across tested subjects and grades, sits below the midpoint when compared with other middle schools in Florence County districts.

The district itself underwent a mandatory consolidation in 2022, when Florence County School District One was merged with a neighboring district by state order. The combined district, still called Florence 1, now operates under a new board and covers a broader geographic area that includes several communities. Families moving into the area may want to check how this consolidation affects attendance zones, as boundaries and feeder patterns were likely redrawn.

Housing in the area is priced below the national average, and typical rents are a modest share of local income, making the community relatively affordable. The school's ZIP code reflects home values that are lower than the state benchmark.

Given the available data, a family considering Sneed Middle will find a school with a strong concentration of students from lower-income backgrounds and a racial mix that reflects the broader community. Academic performance is strongest in English language arts, where about half of students meet proficiency standards, while math and science achievement is an area of concern that a parent may want to look into further with the school. The consolidation of the district is a recent and meaningful change that could influence everything from transportation to program offerings, and it is worth a conversation with the school or district office.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 35% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 720%

School 20% · District 33% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 38% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 49%

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 49%

▼ 6 pts below state median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 49% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median

Science

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 38% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 779%

School 79% · District 68% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median

This schoolFlorence 01, 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-income40%Higher-income77%36 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income63%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income42%Higher-income66%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income16%Higher-income49%33 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income16%Higher-income39%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income24%Higher-income55%32 pp gap