FLORENCE, S.C. (WBTW) — Florence 1 Schools has been named the most equitable school district in South Carolina, according to a new study by WalletHub, the district announced Thursday in a news release.
The study evaluated nearly 13,000 school districts across the country, and they were ranked based on per-pupil spending and average household income, the release said.
The districts were assigned an overall score, with a low score being indicative of greater equity. Florence 1’s score was 0.28, and that is half the score for Spartanburg 2, the district ranked second in the state, the release said.
The ranking was created based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Based on that data, Florence 1’s expenditures per pupil are $12,398 and the average household income is $54,784. By comparison, Spartanburg’s per pupil expenditures are $10,368 while the average household income is $62,550, the release said.
According to WalletHub, “The final score for each district was calculated by taking the absolute difference between the score for expenditures and the score for household income. We then ranked the districts based on the total score, with the lowest value, representing the most equitable, being ranked 1.”
Florence 1 was named the most equitable out of the nearly 80 school districts in South Carolina, according to the release.
“This national recognition for our district validated through explicit independent data that when students in F1S are all treated the same and have access to similar resources, equity and achievement are possible,” Superintendent Richard O’Malley said. “F1S continues to be the leader in education and this voice of truth tells our story that better education equals a better community.”
To view the data, you can click here.
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Taylor Ford is a digital journalist for News13. She joined the News13 team in January 2023. Taylor is a Florence native and covers the Pee Dee out of News13’s Florence Bureau. Read more of Taylor’s work here.