Pleasant Knoll Middle, Fort Mill SC

Original Research by School Decision on Pleasant Knoll Middle

Pleasant Knoll Middle School serves grades six through eight in the Fort Mill area of York County, South Carolina. It operates as a regular public school within the York 04 district, a system that has been growing rapidly. The school itself is large for a middle school, drawing students from the surrounding suburban neighborhoods of a town that has transformed from a textile mill community into a fast-growing commuter suburb of Charlotte.

Academically, Pleasant Knoll delivers strong results. On the state's SC Ready assessments, the school's English language arts proficiency rates sit well above typical levels across all three grade levels. Math proficiency, while solid, runs a bit lower than ELA, though still at a level that many families would view favorably. Science results are also strong. The school's overall proficiency index places it among the top performers relative to other districts in York County. A note on the social studies data: the most recent available scores are from several years ago and used a different assessment, so a parent may want to ask the school for current information on that subject. Because this is a middle school, there are no four-year graduation rates or chronic absenteeism metrics reported here; those measures apply to high schools.

The student body is predominantly white, with a notable Asian population and smaller shares of Hispanic and Black students. A modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a generally well-off community but with some economic diversity. Enrollment figures for students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the data we reviewed; a family with specific needs in those areas may want to follow up directly with the school.

Pleasant Knoll sits in Fort Mill, a town that has seen intense residential and commercial growth. The population has increased substantially in recent years, and the school district is the fastest growing per capita in South Carolina. That growth has prompted concrete changes. In 2023, voters approved a bond referendum to build a new elementary school and a new middle school, along with facility upgrades across the district. The district has also conducted redistricting to balance enrollment across its schools as new buildings open. For a family moving into the area, this means attendance zones are in flux; checking the current boundary for Pleasant Knoll is a practical step.

The town itself offers a blend of historic downtown walkability and newer suburban development, with corporate offices, parks, and the Anne Springs Close Greenway providing outdoor access. Housing values are well above state and national benchmarks, reflecting the area's desirability and proximity to Charlotte. Rents are also elevated.

For a parent considering this school, the academic picture is straightforward: Pleasant Knoll performs at a high level, particularly in reading and writing, and is part of a district that invests heavily in new capacity. The peer environment reflects a largely middle- to upper-middle-income suburban population. The main considerations are the rapid growth of the area, which means ongoing construction and boundary adjustments, and the high cost of housing. Families who want a reliably strong academic program in a growing suburban setting will find a solid option here. Those with questions about specialized services or the most current attendance boundaries should reach out to the school or district office directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 669%

School 69% · District 68% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 768%

School 68% · District 64% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 66% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 682%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 787%

School 87% · District 82% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 885%

School 85% · District 80% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Science

Grade 678%

School 78% · District 75% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 795%

School 95% · District 87% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

This schoolYork 04, 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-income58%Higher-income88%30 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income74%Higher-income90%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income69%Higher-income87%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income44%Higher-income76%32 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income74%30 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income65%15 pp gap