Kelly Mill Middle, Blythewood SC

Original Research by School Decision on Kelly Mill Middle

Kelly Mill Middle is a regular public school in Blythewood, South Carolina, serving an unusually wide grade span that runs from second grade through eighth grade. That means it functions as both an elementary and a middle school under one roof, which can simplify transitions for families but also creates a very broad peer age range. The school is part of Richland 02, a district that covers the rapidly growing suburban corridor north of Columbia.

Academically, the picture is mixed, and the available data comes from a single testing year, 2024-25. In English language arts, proficiency rates fell in a moderate range across grades six through eight, with roughly half of students meeting the state’s proficiency standard. Math results were softer, with proficiency rates lower than ELA across all three tested middle grades, and eighth-grade math particularly weak. Science proficiency in sixth grade was in a moderate range. Older test data from the 2018-19 school year showed social studies results that were roughly comparable to the ELA rates. Because the state changed its cut scores for ELA and science in recent years, comparing these results to prior years is not straightforward. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages across tested subjects and grades, placed it in the lower portion relative to other districts in Richland County. Parents interested in learning more about how the school is working on math improvement may want to ask the school directly.

The student body is large for the grade band served. Most students are Black, with smaller shares of white, Hispanic, and students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that economic diversity is present. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available in the current records. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

Blythewood itself is one of the fastest-growing towns in South Carolina, a suburban community about a short drive north of Columbia. Residents describe a tight-knit, southern feel, though new housing construction is changing the landscape. The town’s major employers include a manufacturing headquarters and a planned electric vehicle plant that is expected to accelerate growth further. Traffic and infrastructure funding are noted as growing pains. Housing values in the area are above the national benchmark, reflecting demand. The town is car-dependent, with community life centered on events at Doko Meadows Park rather than a walkable downtown core. Schools are spread across multiple campuses rather than clustered centrally.

Kelly Mill Middle’s own campus is one of those distributed sites. The district brief turned up no recent major changes at the district level that would affect the school. No data on discipline, chronic absenteeism, course access, or staffing was available in the records reviewed. For families considering this school, the key considerations are the wide grade span, the moderate literacy results alongside weaker math performance, and the broader context of a fast-growing suburban community where housing costs are elevated and development is ongoing. The school’s position relative to other Richland County schools is below the midpoint academically, which may matter for families who prioritize high test scores but is only one dimension of what the school offers.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 33% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 724%

School 24% · District 30% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 27% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 50% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 52% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 50% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Science

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 44% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 73% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 64% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

This schoolRichland 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-income42%Higher-income66%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income40%Higher-income59%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income45%Higher-income57%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income12%Higher-income36%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income20%Higher-income31%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income14%Higher-income28%14 pp gap