Whitmire Community School (high), Whitmire SC

Original Research by School Decision on Whitmire Community School (high)

Whitmire Community School (High) serves grades six through twelve as a regular public school in the town of Whitmire, part of Newberry County School District 01. The school is the only secondary option in a small, rural town that has seen steady population decline over many decades, a place that was once a thriving textile mill town but lost its last mill by the early 2010s. The town’s website speaks of a renaissance and new projects, but the most concrete change for families is a district-level decision to close Whitmire Community School after the 2025-26 school year, consolidating its students into schools in Newberry and Mid-Carolina. That makes this a school in its final year of operation, a fact that will shape every family’s decision about it.

The school serves grades six through twelve, with a total enrollment that is small for a combined middle and high school. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Black minority and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races. Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native students each make up a very small portion of the population. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a lower-income student body overall. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.

On state assessments, the school’s results vary by subject and grade. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades six, seven, and eight were in a range that is solidly above the midpoint, with eighth grade showing the strongest performance. In math, the picture is more mixed: sixth and seventh grade proficiency rates were lower, while eighth grade math was stronger. Science results for sixth grade were in a similar range to the stronger ELA results. Social studies data is from an older assessment year and is not directly comparable to current results. Because the school serves grades six through twelve, but state testing data is only available for grades six through eight, there is no test-based picture of high school academic performance from this data. A parent may want to ask the school directly about high school academic outcomes.

The school’s graduation rate was not available in the data provided, so there is no measure of how many students complete high school here. That is a gap a family would want to fill by asking the district or school directly.

The housing market in Whitmire is notably affordable. Home values are well below state and national benchmarks, and the area has seen a modest year-over-year decline. Rents relative to income suggest a market that is more affordable than many parts of the country. For a family considering a move to the area, the cost of housing is low, but the context of a town with a shrinking population and a school that is closing means the decision involves more than just the monthly payment.

The district itself, Newberry 01, approved a budget with no property tax increase for the coming year, which may matter to families weighing the tax implications of living in the district. But the dominant fact for anyone looking at Whitmire Community School is that it will not exist after the current school year. The district is consolidating students into Newberry and Mid-Carolina schools, citing declining enrollment and facility costs. A family moving to Whitmire now would need to plan for their child to attend a different school in the near future.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 53 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

241 schools plotted. 4 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 637%

School 37% · District 36% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 25% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 27% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 46% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 54%

▼ 2 pts below state median

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 52% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median

Science

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 38% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 757%

School 57% · District 69% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

This schoolNewberry 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.