The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in English language arts. The lowest is 43% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on T.e. Mabry Middle
T.E. Mabry Middle sits in Inman, a small Upstate city that was once called the fresh peach capital of the world and now describes itself as a growing community with a historic downtown core. The school serves only seventh and eighth graders within Spartanburg County School District 1, drawing from the surrounding neighborhoods and the broader Inman area. The city itself has been growing steadily, with its population rising in recent years, and local leaders are focused on downtown revitalization and a proposed rail trail that would start at Inman’s downtown and run north toward the state line.
Mabry Middle is a regular public school, neither a charter nor a magnet. Its enrollment is moderate for a two-grade middle school, and a substantial share of students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who are Black, Hispanic, multiracial, and Asian. Data on the share of students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those populations are served.
On state assessments, the school’s performance varies by subject and grade. In English language arts, seventh graders posted a stronger proficiency rate than eighth graders. In math, both grades landed lower than in reading, with eighth-grade math proficiency trailing seventh-grade math by a noticeable margin. Across both tested grades and subjects combined, the school’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Spartanburg County. The most recent science and social studies data is from several years ago and predates the pandemic, so it does not reflect current conditions. The school’s ELA and math results are from a single recent year, and the state changed its cut scores for ELA and science in that period, which means comparing these results with earlier years is not straightforward.
For families trying to gauge the academic environment, the picture is mixed. The school’s reading results are a relative strength, with a clear majority of students meeting the state’s proficiency standard in seventh-grade ELA. Math is the softer spot, where fewer than half of students reached the proficient level in either grade. A parent with a child who struggles in math may want to investigate what support structures the school offers. Since Mabry is a middle school that ends at eighth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school does not offer the kind of advanced course pathways that high schools typically list.
The community context matters here. Inman is a car-oriented small city, with most residents commuting to Spartanburg and other nearby towns for work. Housing values in the area are close to the state median, and rents have been rising, though the area remains more affordable than the national average. The school campuses in Inman are set apart from the downtown core, so a typical school day involves driving or busing rather than walking from a downtown home. The district itself did not have any recent major changes publicly reported, such as a bond referendum or a curriculum overhaul, that would signal a shift in direction for a family to weigh.
What a parent or resident gets from Mabry Middle is a middle school in a growing small city where reading proficiency is solid and math achievement is an area the school and families will want to keep an eye on. The school serves a population with moderate economic diversity, and its size means students are in a relatively contained environment for just two years before moving on to Chapman High School. For a family that values a traditional public school in a community that is expanding and investing in its downtown, this is a straightforward option. For a family weighing math support or looking for a school with stronger countywide test scores, the data suggests looking closely at what the school offers in terms of intervention and enrichment before deciding.
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