Summary:
The Greenwood 50 school district in South Carolina is home to 8 elementary schools serving grades PK-5, with a combined enrollment of nearly 4,000 students in a district ranked 16th out of 75 statewide. Overall, this is a solidly above-average district, but the schools vary widely in performance, with one clear standout and several others showing significant room for improvement.
Hodges Elementary is the district's clear leader, ranking in the top 5% of schools statewide for three consecutive years. It achieves this with the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (13.3%) and below-median spending, making it a model of efficiency. Mathews Elementary is the strongest improver, jumping from 171st to 108th in state rank, and boasts the highest per-student spending ($19,054) along with the district's best single-grade ELA score (91.3% in 4th grade). Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary is a solid mid-tier performer but shows a concerning 19-point drop in 4th grade math proficiency. At the other end, Lakeview Elementary struggles most, with nearly 1 in 3 students chronically absent and the lowest state rank in the district.
Two key patterns emerge across the district. First, there is a consistent "4th grade math slump" – nearly every school sees a significant drop in math proficiency between 3rd and 4th grade, suggesting a curriculum or testing transition issue that needs targeted intervention. Second, chronic absenteeism strongly correlates with performance: the top three schools have the lowest absenteeism rates, while the bottom three have the highest. Notably, spending does not predict success – Pinecrest Elementary has the best student-teacher ratio (9.4:1) and above-average spending, yet its rank has slipped to 192nd. For parents, Hodges Elementary is the clear top choice, while Mathews Elementary offers a strong, improving option worth watching.
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