Elementary Schools in Anderson 04

The four elementary schools in the Anderson 04 district—Pendleton Elementary, Mt. Lebanon Elementary, La France Elementary, and Townville Elementary—serve grades PK-6 in a district ranked in the 95th percentile statewide, offering families a consistently high-performing option with notable differences in spending, class size, and academic focus.

For parents prioritizing top academic results, La France Elementary is the standout choice, holding a 5-star rating and leading the district in mathematics (82.3% average proficiency) while spending the least per student ($14,091). Mt. Lebanon Elementary is the academic powerhouse in English Language Arts, with proficiency rates above 83% in grades 4-6, though its 3rd grade scores lag behind its own upper grades. Townville Elementary, the smallest school, offers the most favorable student-teacher ratio (11.5:1) and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district (6.3%), but its academic results are comparable to, not better than, La France's—suggesting that smaller classes and higher spending ($19,250 per student) don't automatically translate to higher test scores. Pendleton Elementary, the largest school, consistently trails its sister schools, particularly in 4th grade math (46.2% proficiency, 31 points below the district average), though it showed the most dramatic improvement in science, jumping nearly 10 points year-over-year.

All four schools significantly outperform state averages for chronic absenteeism, with rates ranging from 6.3% to 12.6% versus the state's 22.3%. The district's internal disparities are notable—a 27-percentile-point spread between La France (95th) and Pendleton (68th)—indicating that school-level factors drive performance more than district-wide policies. For parents, the choice comes down to priorities: La France for efficiency and consistency, Mt. Lebanon for upper-grade ELA strength, Townville for small classes and attendance, and Pendleton for families seeking a larger school community where improvement is underway.