R. E. Davis College Preparatory Academy, Sumter SC

Original Research by School Decision on R. E. Davis College Preparatory Academy

R. E. Davis College Preparatory Academy serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Sumter, South Carolina, as part of the Sumter 01 district. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and the available data classifies it as serving a student body where every enrolled child qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting a high level of economic need in this part of the city. The school is situated on Eastern School Road, in a residential area of Sumter.

The student population is predominantly Black, with a much smaller share of white students and a modest Hispanic presence. The school is relatively small for a K-8 campus, with enrollment spread across each grade from kindergarten through eighth grade, plus a pre-kindergarten program.

Academically, the state testing results from the most recent school year show a clear pattern. In mathematics, the share of students scoring at proficient levels is low across every tested grade, with the highest performance in third grade and a particularly weak showing in seventh grade. English language arts proficiency is somewhat stronger but still below what most parents would consider a solid baseline, with sixth and seventh graders posting the best results within the school. Science results are available for two grades: fourth-grade science proficiency is on the lower end, while sixth-grade science reaches a higher level. A social studies assessment from several years ago is too old to reflect current conditions. The data comes from South Carolina’s SC Ready assessments, and the state changed some cut scores between testing years, so direct comparisons with earlier years are not possible. No graduation rate applies because the school does not serve high school grades.

The school’s name includes “College Preparatory Academy,” which suggests an aspiration toward a college-focused curriculum, but the available data does not include details about specific programs, course offerings, or enrichment pathways that would define what that means in practice for students in grades six through eight. A parent interested in the nature of the college preparatory emphasis would need to ask the school directly.

The surrounding city of Sumter functions as a regional hub for east-central South Carolina, with a working-city character shaped by Shaw Air Force Base, a regional medical center, and a mix of manufacturing, aerospace, and biotech employers. The city has a recognizable downtown with parks and community events, including the annual Iris Festival at Swan Lake Iris Gardens. Housing in the area is affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, and the local economy has a steady, non-booming feel. The broader Sumter 01 district serves both the city and the county, but no recent district-level changes of lasting impact were identified in available public reports.

Because this is the only school in the comparison group defined for Sumter County’s districts, no relative positioning against other local schools is possible. A parent trying to gauge how R. E. Davis compares academically to other schools in the area may find the lack of a peer group frustrating and should seek out side-by-side performance data from the district or state.

Other common school-level metrics such as chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, staffing ratios, and course access details were not available in the data provided. The school has no reported data on the share of students with disabilities or English learners, though that may be simply unreported. For families considering this school, the academic numbers are the central fact, and the combination of a high-poverty student body and low proficiency rates across math and ELA warrants a direct conversation with the school about what supports are in place for students who are below grade level. The school’s pre-K through eighth grade span offers continuity for families who want their child in one building from the early years through middle school, but the academic results suggest that many students will need additional help to reach grade-level benchmarks.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 45% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 38% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 35 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 29% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 21% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median

Grade 74%

School 4% · District 17% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median

Grade 815%

School 15% · District 17% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 329%

School 29% · District 49% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 49% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 44% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 42% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median

Grade 737%

School 37% · District 46% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 43% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median

Science

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 40% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 31% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median

Social studies

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 60% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 53% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median

This schoolSumter 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.