Summary:
The eight elementary schools in Spartanburg 05, serving grades PK through 5 in the upstate South Carolina area, form a high-performing district that ranks 12th out of 75 districts statewide, though individual school outcomes vary significantly.
For parents, the standout choice is Reidville Elementary, which consistently earns a 4-star rating and leads the district in nearly every subject, including 5th-grade ELA (80.6%) and Math (77.6%), while also having the lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 12.9%. River Ridge Elementary is the most improved school, jumping from the 50th to the 86th percentile in just two years, with dramatic gains in 3rd-grade scores. On the other end, Berry Shoals Elementary and Tyger River Elementary, the district's two newest schools, are struggling, with Berry Shoals posting the lowest scores across all subjects and grades. Wellford Academy of Science and Technology is improving but still ranks lowest overall, particularly in 4th-grade Math (43.2%) and Science (37.2%).
Key metrics show the district outperforms state averages in most subjects, with 3rd-grade being a particular strength district-wide. Chronic absenteeism averages 19.1%, better than the state's 22.3%, and student-teacher ratios are low, ranging from 11.1 at Duncan Elementary School of the Arts to 14 at Abner Creek Academy. Notably, per-student spending does not correlate with performance—Wellford Academy spends the most ($15,229) yet has low scores, while Lyman Elementary spends the least ($12,267) and performs near average. Attendance strongly tracks achievement, and several schools show inconsistent performance across grade levels, suggesting that outcomes may depend heavily on specific grade-level teams or transitions rather than school-wide factors.
Thank you for your feedback!