Schools in Pacolet, SC

Pacolet, South Carolina is served by a single public elementary school, Pacolet Elementary, which educates students from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade and is part of the highly-rated Spartanburg 03 district.

For parents considering Pacolet Elementary, the school offers a strong overall profile with a 4-star rating and a state ranking in the 73rd percentile (176th out of 649 elementary schools). Its greatest academic strengths are in early STEM subjects: 3rd-grade math proficiency (75.8%) and 4th-grade math (75.4%) both significantly exceed state averages, and 4th-grade science (67.2%) outperforms the state by nearly 16 percentage points. The school also maintains a healthy learning environment, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 17.8%—far better than the district (25.4%) and state (22.3%)—and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.8 to 1. Per-student spending is $16,799.

However, there is a notable "5th-grade slump" that parents should be aware of. While 3rd and 4th-grade scores are impressive, 5th-grade proficiency drops sharply in both ELA (55.4% vs. 68.8% in 4th grade) and math (48.3% vs. 75.4% in 4th grade), falling below district averages in both subjects. This suggests a challenging transition into upper elementary grades that may require additional support. Additionally, while the school's overall ranking has improved over three years (from the 64th to 73rd percentile), recent test scores show some year-over-year declines in several subjects, indicating that the school's absolute performance may be fluctuating even as it outpaces many peers statewide. The school's ELA scores also decline with each grade level, from a strong 79% in 3rd grade to below-average in 5th grade. Overall, Pacolet Elementary is a solid choice for early elementary years, but families with older students may want to explore how the school addresses the 5th-grade transition.