The top reported proficiency rate is 54% in English language arts. The lowest is 16% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Midlands Stem Institute
Midlands STEM Institute, located in Winnsboro, South Carolina, is a public charter school serving students from Pre-K through grade 12. It is authorized by the Charter Institute at Erskine, a statewide charter school district that has grown substantially in recent years, now overseeing more than two dozen schools. As a charter school, it operates with a degree of autonomy from the local traditional school district, and families choose to enroll. The school is housed on Crane Street in Winnsboro’s compact, historic downtown, the county seat of Fairfield County. Winnsboro has a small-town feel, with a historic core and a number of sites on the National Register. The town’s population has declined in recent years, and its median household income is low.
The student body is small and serves a high-poverty population. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a marker of economic disadvantage. Racially, the student body is roughly evenly split between White students and Black students, with a small number of students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds. The school draws from a wide area, as is common for charters, and the enrollment numbers are not large for a school spanning all grades.
On state assessments, the school’s results show a clear split by subject. In English language arts, proficiency rates across tested grades sit near the midpoint, with some individual grade levels performing notably higher. For example, in grades 4, 6, and 7, more than half of students reached proficiency, which is a meaningful portion. In math, however, performance is much lower. Proficiency rates in grades 4 through 8 are in the single digits or low twenties, which is a significant concern. Science results are also on the lower end. Older social studies data was suppressed due to small testing counts. Because the school is small, results for some individual grade levels are suppressed to protect student privacy, which makes it harder to see the full picture for some grades, but the available data shows a clear area of weakness in math that a parent would want to understand in detail.
The school does not appear in the available data with high school end-of-course test results, graduation rates, or details on course access such as Advanced Placement or dual credit programs. The absence of a graduation rate may reflect that the school’s high school enrollment is very small, or that the metric was not reported for this entity. A parent considering this school for secondary grades would want to ask directly about high school pathways, college readiness supports, and what courses and credentials students are actually earning.
The Charter Institute at Erskine, the school’s authorizing district, underwent a state legislative audit in 2025 examining its oversight and operations. That review could lead to changes in how the district supports and governs its schools. Parents may want to follow the outcome of that review for any implications for school operations or resources.
The school’s name includes “STEM,” but available data does not describe specific STEM programs, course sequences, or partnerships. A parent interested in the STEM focus should ask what that means in practice, from curriculum design to lab access and extracurricular opportunities.
Overall, Midlands STEM Institute serves a small, economically disadvantaged student body in a rural, historic town. Its English language arts results are reasonably solid, but math achievement is a pronounced soft spot. The school’s charter status gives families a choice outside the local district, but the lack of clear high school outcome data and any detailed program description means a family will need to gather more from the school directly to assess whether the academic pathway and student supports align with their child’s needs.
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