Richard H. Gettys Middle, Easley SC

Original Research by School Decision on Richard H. Gettys Middle

Richard H. Gettys Middle School serves sixth through eighth grade in Easley, South Carolina, as part of the Pickens 01 school district. It is a regular public school with a sizable enrollment for a middle school, drawing students from the surrounding community in this part of the Upstate.

The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and a smaller Black population, along with students who identify as two or more races or Asian. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a context where economic disadvantage is a significant factor for many families.

Academically, the school presents a split picture across subjects and grade levels that a parent would want to examine closely. On state assessments, English language arts results show that just over half of students scored at or above the proficient level in sixth and eighth grades, while seventh grade scored a bit higher. Math proficiency is notably lower across all three grades and declines as students get older, with sixth grade showing the strongest math results among the three and eighth grade the weakest. Science results for sixth grade are comparatively strong.

There was not enough data to establish a multi-year trend in either subject, so it is not possible to say whether these are improving or declining patterns. The assessment landscape in South Carolina has also seen changes to cut scores in recent years, which means comparisons with older results should be treated with caution.

Because this school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate data to report. The comparison data that would place the school relative to other districts in Pickens County was not available in a usable form, so it is not possible to say how Gettys Middle sits among its county peers.

The school is located in Easley, a city in Pickens County. The district brief did not turn up any recent changes that would be of lasting relevance to parents, such as boundary adjustments, program launches, or facility plans. Anyone considering the school should check directly with the district for any updates.

Housing in the area around the school is priced slightly below the statewide median home value, and rental prices are moderate relative to incomes. The national mortgage rate at the time of this data snapshot fell in the mid-six-percent range, which shapes affordability for families looking to buy.

Gettys Middle is a school where the strongest academic showing comes in sixth-grade science and early-middle-grade English, while math results across all three years are an area where the school may want to focus attention. The share of students from low-income households is high, which correlates with broader resource and support needs. A family considering this school would benefit from asking the school directly about its math instruction strategy across the middle grades, as well as what academic supports are available for students who are not yet at grade level in that subject.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 46% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 727%

School 27% · District 34% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median

Grade 824%

School 24% · District 32% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 653%

School 53% · District 57% · ▼ 4 pts below district

even with state median

Grade 758%

School 58% · District 62% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 57% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median

Science

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 61% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 21 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 769%

School 69% · District 72% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median

This schoolPickens 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-income47%Higher-income69%22 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income53%Higher-income71%19 pp gap

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

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income40%Higher-income70%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income22%Higher-income40%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income17%Higher-income42%25 pp gap