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John C. Calhoun Elementary

Q: Is John C. Calhoun Elementary a good school?

John C. Calhoun Elementary ranks 475 th of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

475^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 28% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

John C. Calhoun Elementary is a small, close-knit school in Calhoun Falls, SC, serving 119 students in grades PK-5 within the Abbeville 60 district—a school where every child is known by name and receives an extraordinary amount of individual attention.

The most striking feature of this school is its intensive investment in each student. With a student-teacher ratio of just 8.6 to 1—far lower than the 12-13 to 1 ratios at nearby Diamond Hill Elementary or Iva Elementary—and per-pupil spending of $24,135 (about 60-70% more than comparable schools), this school prioritizes small class sizes and personalized support. That investment appears to pay off in reading: 5th grade ELA scores hit 75% proficiency in 2024-2025, dramatically outpacing the 47.6% at Westwood Elementary in the same district. The school also excels at getting kids to class, with chronic absenteeism at just 4.2% in 2023-2024 versus a 22.5% state average—a remarkable achievement for a school where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.

However, parents should be aware of two challenges. First, math proficiency lags significantly behind reading—only 33.3% of 4th graders met math standards in the most recent testing, a 19-point deficit versus the state. Second, because cohorts are so small (roughly 20-30 students per grade), year-to-year scores can swing dramatically; the school's overall ranking dropped from the 67th to 28th percentile recently, which may reflect a single challenging cohort rather than a systemic decline. While the school's strong results with its student population—including an 89th percentile ranking for African American students in 2021-2022—suggest the intensive model is working, the persistent math gap and resource sustainability are worth monitoring as your child progresses through the grades.

119

Students ?

8.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,135

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

750 North Calhoun Shores Parkw
Calhoun Falls, SC 29628

(864) 418-8016

District: Abbeville 60

Students who attend John C. Calhoun Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Wright Middle
High:	Abbeville High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

54.6%

White:

37.8%

Two or more races:

7.6%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 55th percentile in 2015 → 28th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (43% vs 58% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 27 percentile points since 2015

!Mathematics scores 20 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg60%

South Carolina avg58%

475^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 35 pts since 2016

From top 37% (2016) to bottom 28% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Abbeville 60

19^th of 75Abbeville 60 among South Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.8	475 of 661	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	65.6	214 of 643	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.6	230 of 644	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.5	248 of 625	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	39.8	376 of 622	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.6	316 of 643	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.1	333 of 624	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	58.9	244 of 639	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	63.0	226 of 619	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	52.3	285 of 638	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.9	193 of 630	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2013	76.9	117 of 599	80.5%	★★★★☆
2012	77.6	105 of 594	82.3%	★★★★☆
2011	82.9	68 of 597	88.6%	★★★★☆
2010	79.9	97 of 589	83.5%	★★★★☆
2009	78.0	98 of 580	83.1%	★★★★☆
2008	68.9	172 of 577	70.2%	★★★★☆
2007	50.6	307 of 566	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	39.0	385 of 559	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	31.9	422 of 557	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	30.1	420 of 550	23.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	29.7	422 of 542	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	82.0	42 of 393	89.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	67.8	176 of 600	70.7%	★★★★☆
2021	42.5	345 of 580	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	60.3	236 of 600	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.8	346 of 588	41.2%	★★☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2022)89th percentile+29 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2022)71st percentile+10 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts57%-7 vs state

Science38%-13 vs state

Mathematics33%-20 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Wednesday, March 9, 2011

This is a wonderful school!!! The teachers truly care about their students. The administration is very supportive of the teachers and students. Discipline problems are handled quickly (I can't say I have seen that in other schools)and good behavior is rewarded regularly. This school's academics surpass schools in larger districts with more financial resources. It goes to show that hard work and dedication to students really make the difference! Close Quote

Schools Near John C. Calhoun Elementary

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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)		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 (2024)	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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	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
John C. Calhoun Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	750 North Calhoun Shores Parkw	Calhoun Falls	29628	Abbeville County	Abbeville 60	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 418-8016	119	14	8.6	100.0%	45 (37.8%)	65 (54.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.6%)	27.8	475^th of 661 public elementary schools	28.1%					(n/a)		57.2				33.3			38.1		$24,135	$2,201	$661	$2,862	$18,010	$3,263	$21,273
Diamond Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	104 Lake Secession Road	Abbeville	29620	Abbeville County	Abbeville 60	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 446-2600	252	20	12.6	70.0%	215 (85.3%)	28 (11.1%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.8%)	46.3	341^st of 661 public elementary schools	48.4%		63.8	232^nd of 639 public elementary schools	63.7%	109	64.5	67.7	48.5	57.1	83.9	55.9	42.4	22.9	44.1	28.6	$13,942	$758	$410	$1,168	$10,414	$2,360	$12,774
Westwood Elementary	Public	3-5	124 Highway 28 Bypass	Abbeville	29620	Abbeville County	Abbeville 60	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 366-9604	296	23	12.8	100.0%	119 (40.2%)	162 (54.7%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	51.5	305^th of 661 public elementary schools	53.9%		50.3	306^th of 639 public elementary schools	52.1%	1	61.0	65.7	54.6		73.1	50.0	46.8		43.7		$14,100	$1,152	$365	$1,517	$10,266	$2,317	$12,583
Iva Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	803 Antreville Highway	Iva	29655	Anderson County	Anderson 03	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 348-6400	383	31	12.3	100.0%	304 (79.4%)	34 (8.9%)	17 (4.4%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	24 (6.3%)	62.6	241^st of 661 public elementary schools	63.5%		68.5	205^th of 639 public elementary schools	67.9%	36	59.4	77.1	62.0		61.7	57.4	56.2		57.4		$14,778	$1,729	$884	$2,614	$10,872	$1,293	$12,164
Long Cane Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	815 East Greenwood Street	Abbeville	29620	Abbeville County	Abbeville 60	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 366-5924	368	29	12.6	100.0%	155 (42.1%)	186 (50.5%)	13 (3.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)								(n/a)											$14,936	$1,984	$491	$2,475	$10,273	$2,189	$12,462

Frequently Asked Questions about John C. Calhoun Elementary

Is John C. Calhoun Elementary a good school?

John C. Calhoun Elementary ranks 475^th of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of John C. Calhoun Elementary attend?

Students who attend John C. Calhoun Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Wright Middle
High : Abbeville High

What district is John C. Calhoun Elementary in?

Abbeville 60

How many students attend John C. Calhoun Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 119 students attended John C. Calhoun Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of John C. Calhoun Elementary?

Students at John C. Calhoun Elementary are 55% African American, 38% White, 8% Two or more races.

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Schools in Calhoun Falls, SC

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 2025

2024–25 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 3, 2025

2024–25 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresSep 2, 2025

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.