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Richland 02

At a glance

36^thof 75 South Carolina districts▲ 1

Better than 52% of South Carolina districts

Elementary 23 Middle 4 High 5Grades PK, KG-12

763 Fashion Drive
Columbia, SC 29229·(803) 787-1910·All South Carolina district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 52% of districts

Schools

28,841

Students

Top rankedRound Top Elementary115^th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools

▲

Biggest riser

Summit Parkway Middle up 119 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Joseph Keels Elementary 10.9 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

1★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare South Carolina districts →See the top-ranked South Carolina schools →

Summary:

Richland 02 is a mid-sized South Carolina school district serving roughly 32,000 students across 32 schools in the Columbia, Blythewood, and Elgin areas, spanning elementary through high school. The district overall earns a 3-star rating, ranking 36th out of 75 districts statewide, but this average masks a dramatic split between a group of high-performing schools and a cluster of schools facing significant challenges.

Families in the Blythewood area will find the district's strongest options. Round Top Elementary is the standout, ranking in the 82nd percentile with ELA proficiency rates above 73% in every grade and the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at just 8.4%. Blythewood Middle leads its level at the 82nd percentile, and Blythewood High posts the best graduation rate at 93.9% while spending the second-least per student. Bethel-Hanberry Elementary also performs well, with 3rd grade math proficiency near 70%. At the other end, Windsor Elementary ranks in the 8th percentile despite the district's second-highest per-student spending, and Richland Northeast High has a 78.1% graduation rate and a dropout rate nearly triple the district average.

The most striking pattern is a sharp academic decline at the middle school transition. For example, E. L. Wright Middle sees 5th grade ELA proficiency at 97.4% plummet to 41.9% by 6th grade, and 3rd grade math at 72.8% drops to just 26.7% by 6th grade. Chronic absenteeism is a key warning sign—schools like Joseph Keels Elementary (35%) and L. W. Conder Elementary (28.7%) are among the lowest performers academically. Meanwhile, Spring Valley High shows mixed signals—its ranking slipped to the 47th percentile, yet its Algebra 1 proficiency improved to 66.18%. The district's overall average hides a two-tier system, with the Blythewood cluster consistently outperforming the Columbia urban core.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)						SC READY Mathematics (2026)						SC READY Science (2026)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (2026)	EOCEP English 1 (2026)	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution (2026)	EOCEP English 2 (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	EOCEP English 1 End of Course	EOCEP U.S. History and the Constitution End of Course	EOCEP English 2 End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Rice Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	4751 Hard Scrabble Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2900	718	55	13.1		38 (5.3%)	538 (74.9%)	57 (7.9%)	18 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (9.1%)	38.9	400^th of 649 public elementary schools	38.4%		49.2	312^th of 640 public elementary schools	51.3%	88	56.5	59.3	61.4				46.3	47.8	33.6				46.9						$13,843	$1,518	$632	$2,150	$9,812	$1,881	$11,693
Ridge View High	Public, Magnet	9-12	4801 Hard Scrabble Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2999	1,631	99	16.5		92 (5.6%)	1,298 (79.6%)	119 (7.3%)	18 (1.1%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	94 (5.8%)	48	132^nd of 245 public high schools	46.1%		41.4	134^th of 235 public high schools	43.0%	2															54.7	55.0	59.7	82.3	$13,235	$747	$467	$1,213	$9,195	$2,827	$12,021
Blythewood Middle	Public	6-8	2351 Longtown Road East	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-6850	872	54	16.2		215 (24.7%)	476 (54.6%)	97 (11.1%)	19 (2.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	62 (7.1%)	78.3	61^st of 335 public middle schools	81.8%		74.6	71^st of 320 public middle schools	77.8%	10				73.7	63.8	73.7				44.9	46.5	60.4		67.6					$12,833	$886	$549	$1,435	$9,377	$2,020	$11,398
Killian Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2621 Clemson Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 699-2981	699	60	11.5		21 (3.0%)	569 (81.4%)	54 (7.7%)	11 (1.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.0%)	31.9	439^th of 649 public elementary schools	32.4%		35.4	414^th of 640 public elementary schools	35.3%	25	52.3	57.6	56.6				43.9	44.4	30.1				44.3						$16,409	$2,523	$948	$3,470	$10,547	$2,392	$12,939
Bookman Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1245 Bookman Road	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 699-1724	535	43	12.3		101 (18.9%)	314 (58.7%)	72 (13.5%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (6.9%)	57.8	258^th of 649 public elementary schools	60.2%		59.2	261^st of 640 public elementary schools	59.2%	3	74.6	71.9	55.1				69.8	48.8	35.0				60.9						$19,019	$1,905	$765	$2,670	$13,672	$2,677	$16,349
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus	Public	PK, KG-2	1151 Kelly Mill Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 714-1300	531	39	13.5		145 (27.3%)	248 (46.7%)	68 (12.8%)	12 (2.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (10.5%)								(n/a)																			$17,870	$1,999	$958	$2,957	$12,263	$2,650	$14,913
Round Top Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	449 Rimer Pond Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-8676	581	46	12.5		188 (32.4%)	269 (46.3%)	58 (10.0%)	28 (4.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.4%)	81.5	115^th of 649 public elementary schools	82.3%		85.8	80^th of 640 public elementary schools	87.5%	35	83.1	73.0	79.1				74.2	58.0	64.3				68.0						$14,463	$1,514	$547	$2,062	$10,165	$2,237	$12,402
Kelly Mill Middle	Public, Magnet	2-8	1141 Kelly Mill Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 691-7210	979	72	13.6		127 (13.0%)	668 (68.2%)	92 (9.4%)	21 (2.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	69 (7.0%)	39.8	202^nd of 335 public middle schools	39.7%		32.3	219^th of 320 public middle schools	31.6%	17		69.5	76.0	54.9	58.7	48.0		69.5	56.0	29.9	33.8	22.7	56.5	52.8					$14,337	$1,468	$850	$2,318	$9,724	$2,296	$12,020
Blythewood High	Public	9-12	10901 Wilson Boulevard	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-4090	2,164	140	15.4		666 (30.8%)	1,144 (52.9%)	178 (8.2%)	49 (2.3%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	114 (5.3%)	64	85^th of 245 public high schools	65.3%		64.8	64^th of 235 public high schools	72.8%	21															54.8	62.4	73.0	85.0	$12,801	$816	$375	$1,191	$9,095	$2,516	$11,611
Bethel-Hanberry Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	125 Boney Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-6880	711	49	14.6		147 (20.7%)	430 (60.5%)	66 (9.3%)	12 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (7.7%)	75.4	154^th of 649 public elementary schools	76.3%		74.8	158^th of 640 public elementary schools	75.3%	4	72.9	71.7	69.3				70.2	68.2	58.5				62.0						$14,767	$1,446	$453	$1,898	$10,532	$2,337	$12,868
L. W. Conder Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	8040 Hunt Club Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 736-8720	489	44	11.1		18 (3.7%)	259 (53.0%)	186 (38.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.7%)	15.6	574^th of 649 public elementary schools	11.6%		15.7	561^st of 640 public elementary schools	12.3%	13	38.7	49.2	49.3				30.7	37.0	27.9				27.7						$18,312	$1,946	$926	$2,872	$12,763	$2,677	$15,440
Forest Lake Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6801 Brookfield Road	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 782-0470	652	49	13.2		113 (17.3%)	363 (55.7%)	117 (17.9%)	20 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (5.8%)	52.5	290^th of 649 public elementary schools	55.3%		56	271^st of 640 public elementary schools	57.7%	19	54.3	76.4	59.4				54.3	50.5	47.7				58.3						$14,520	$1,089	$725	$1,813	$10,351	$2,357	$12,707
Joseph Keels Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	7500 Springcrest Drive	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 736-8754	465	43	10.9		7 (1.5%)	384 (82.6%)	44 (9.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)	35.7	421^st of 649 public elementary schools	35.1%		30.1	451^st of 640 public elementary schools	29.5%	30	46.7	56.1	54.3				51.7	42.4	42.9				47.9						$17,949	$1,969	$1,001	$2,969	$12,353	$2,628	$14,980
L. B. Nelson Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	225 North Brickyard Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-8730	541	44	12.2		56 (10.4%)	380 (70.2%)	55 (10.2%)	11 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.0%)	50.4	311^th of 649 public elementary schools	52.1%		47.9	321^st of 640 public elementary schools	49.8%	10	53.1	62.5	60.3				56.3	55.7	38.4				60.2						$15,825	$1,669	$976	$2,645	$10,966	$2,213	$13,179
Windsor Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	9800 Dunbarton Drive	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 736-8723	579	52	11.2		27 (4.7%)	358 (61.8%)	168 (29.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	20 (3.5%)	11.9	599^th of 649 public elementary schools	7.7%		11.2	593^rd of 640 public elementary schools	7.3%	6	37.1	45.7	43.5				34.2	20.2	22.0				35.1						$16,902	$1,736	$1,079	$2,815	$11,627	$2,460	$14,086
E. L. Wright Middle	Public, Magnet	K-8	2740 Alpine Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-8740	1,275	87	14.5		201 (15.8%)	735 (57.6%)	202 (15.8%)	71 (5.6%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (4.8%)	43.5	364^th of 649 public elementary schools	43.9%		36.2	405^th of 640 public elementary schools	36.7%	41	88.7	97.8	97.4	41.9	52.8	52.9	72.8	72.7	84.6	26.7	29.4	33.2	81.8	40.8					$13,243	$801	$448	$1,249	$9,658	$2,336	$11,994
Spring Valley High	Public, Magnet	9-12	120 Sparkleberry Lane	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-3500	2,230	125	17.8		413 (18.5%)	1,209 (54.2%)	337 (15.1%)	151 (6.8%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	113 (5.1%)	48.8	130^th of 245 public high schools	46.9%		43.9	126^th of 235 public high schools	46.4%	4															66.2	51.8	57.8	84.7	$12,832	$815	$430	$1,245	$9,028	$2,559	$11,587
Sandlapper Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1001 Longtown Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-4045	671	51	13.2		45 (6.7%)	517 (77.0%)	52 (7.7%)	21 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (5.2%)	35.7	420^th of 649 public elementary schools	35.3%		44.7	343^rd of 640 public elementary schools	46.4%	77	53.9	53.5	57.5				47.3	46.6	39.7				44.5						$15,405	$1,485	$1,222	$2,707	$10,657	$2,041	$12,698
Polo Road Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1250 Polo Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 419-2226	665	50	13.2		39 (5.9%)	345 (51.9%)	217 (32.6%)	15 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (7.2%)	18.8	538^th of 649 public elementary schools	17.1%		21.1	524^th of 640 public elementary schools	18.1%	14	44.6	50.6	49.5				43.7	24.7	29.3				35.3						$15,464	$1,280	$1,131	$2,411	$11,315	$1,738	$13,053
Longleaf Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	1160 Longreen Parkway	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 691-4870	796	56	14.2		64 (8.0%)	609 (76.5%)	73 (9.2%)	9 (1.1%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.6%)	36.7	216^th of 335 public middle schools	35.5%		32.9	214^th of 320 public middle schools	33.1%	2				49.2	51.9	61.7				26.2	25.7	38.4		40.1					$14,283	$905	$669	$1,575	$10,730	$1,978	$12,709
Dent Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2721 Decker Boulevard	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2750	1,059	83	12.7		185 (17.5%)	566 (53.4%)	186 (17.6%)	67 (6.3%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (4.4%)	42.4	187^th of 335 public middle schools	44.2%		40.7	186^th of 320 public middle schools	41.9%	1				50.2	54.5	55.8				30.9	40.6	35.5		43.0					$15,232	$1,039	$661	$1,699	$11,035	$2,497	$13,532
Richland Northeast High	Public, Magnet	9-12	7500 Brookfield Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2800	1,340	101	13.3		112 (8.4%)	857 (64.0%)	296 (22.1%)	19 (1.4%)	2 (0.1%)	4 (0.3%)	50 (3.7%)	23.9	198^th of 245 public high schools	19.2%		15.8	205^th of 235 public high schools	12.8%	7															65.3	39.9	39.1	73.2	$16,712	$1,045	$593	$1,638	$11,424	$3,651	$15,075
North Springs Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1300 Clemson Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-3183	659	53	12.4		52 (7.9%)	486 (73.7%)	64 (9.7%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (5.8%)	40.7	391^st of 649 public elementary schools	39.8%		37.3	396^th of 640 public elementary schools	38.1%	5	59.6	63.4	59.1				55.3	39.8	35.4				45.1						$16,072	$1,643	$1,136	$2,780	$11,109	$2,183	$13,292
Pontiac Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	500 Spears Creek Church Road	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2700	880	64	13.7		143 (16.3%)	503 (57.2%)	129 (14.7%)	32 (3.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (8.0%)	39.2	399^th of 649 public elementary schools	38.5%		46.9	327^th of 640 public elementary schools	48.9%	72	56.7	65.1	56.0				37.4	46.3	39.3				49.7						$14,012	$1,267	$526	$1,793	$10,233	$1,985	$12,219
Summit Parkway Middle	Public, Magnet	K-8	200 Summit Parkway	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-3580	1,229	84	14.5		193 (15.7%)	731 (59.5%)	163 (13.3%)	40 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	96 (7.8%)	49.3	317^th of 649 public elementary schools	51.2%		31.9	436^th of 640 public elementary schools	31.9%	119	69.8	90.0	86.5	50.4	51.3	47.0	58.1	72.5	81.1	35.8	21.8	32.7	62.5	40.4					$12,925	$888	$320	$1,208	$9,472	$2,245	$11,717
Bridge Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	121 Bombing Range Road	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 462-3900	564	47	12.1		63 (11.2%)	374 (66.3%)	77 (13.7%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (7.4%)	42	379^th of 649 public elementary schools	41.6%		43.6	352^nd of 640 public elementary schools	45.0%	27	50.0	68.4	58.7				53.4	48.7	44.4				39.5						$15,344	$1,391	$802	$2,192	$11,303	$1,848	$13,151
Langford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	480 Langford Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-4091	631	42	15.1		138 (21.9%)	371 (58.8%)	69 (10.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	42 (6.7%)	56	267^th of 649 public elementary schools	58.9%		51.3	302^nd of 640 public elementary schools	52.8%	35	71.6	63.5	72.5				56.8	50.4	44.0				47.8						$13,786	$1,598	$1,005	$2,603	$9,419	$1,764	$11,183
Muller Road Middle	Public, Magnet	K-8	1031 Muller Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 691-6851	1,242	81	15.3		307 (24.7%)	736 (59.3%)	98 (7.9%)	30 (2.4%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	56 (4.5%)	64.5	224^th of 649 public elementary schools	65.5%		53.3	288^th of 640 public elementary schools	55.0%	64	84.1	95.2	92.8	58.8	63.6	62.1	81.8	78.6	83.3	36.8	41.7	46.4	73.8	51.5					$11,972	$941	$505	$1,446	$8,717	$1,808	$10,525
Catawba Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1080 Old National Highway	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 699-3501	636	50	12.7		108 (17.0%)	297 (46.7%)	177 (27.8%)	13 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.2%)	69.2	195^th of 649 public elementary schools	70.0%		74.3	165^th of 640 public elementary schools	74.2%	30	66.1	69.0	71.9				65.6	58.6	59.4				60.8						$14,516	$1,812	$821	$2,634	$10,009	$1,874	$11,883
Westwood High	Public, Magnet	9-12	180 Turkey Farm Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 691-4049	1,743	106	16.4		124 (7.1%)	1,378 (79.1%)	141 (8.1%)	16 (0.9%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	76 (4.4%)	35.5	160^th of 245 public high schools	34.7%		34.9	151^st of 235 public high schools	35.7%	9															55.4	46.4	59.7	77.0	$13,394	$759	$561	$1,320	$9,437	$2,637	$12,073
Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus	Public	3-5	1261 Kelly Mill Road	Blythewood	29016	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 691-3360	523	37	14.2		139 (26.6%)	275 (52.6%)	55 (10.5%)	15 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	37 (7.1%)	71.6	178^th of 649 public elementary schools	72.6%		76.1	151^st of 640 public elementary schools	76.4%	27	69.4	72.8	72.5				63.4	57.0	58.2				64.1						$14,706	$1,380	$693	$2,072	$10,684	$1,950	$12,634
Jackson Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7150 Trenholm Road Extension	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 790-3800	551	50	10.9		4 (0.7%)	426 (77.3%)	79 (14.3%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.5%)	13.3	592^nd of 649 public elementary schools	8.8%		11.3	589^th of 640 public elementary schools	8.0%	3	48.6	35.7	38.0				46.6	24.3	22.5				28.6						$15,730	$1,991	$706	$2,697	$10,820	$2,213	$13,033

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Richland 01	5.84 mi	48	55^th
Dept Of Correction N04	7.03 mi	12
Kershaw 01	7.11 mi	17	27^th
School Public Charter School District	8.33 mi	59	32^nd
Fairfield 01	10.11 mi	8	34^th

See the top SC South Carolina districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.