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Cherokee Trail Elementary

Q: Is Cherokee Trail Elementary a good school?

Cherokee Trail Elementary ranks 89 th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

89^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 86% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Cherokee Trail Elementary in Donalds, SC, is a mid-sized school serving 360 students from Pre-K through 6th grade in the Abbeville 60 district, and it has quietly become one of the most effective schools in the state.

The most impressive thing about Cherokee Trail is how well it serves students from low-income families. With 65-73% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, you might expect average results—but this school ranks in the 96th percentile for that subgroup, earning a 5-star rating. That means your child, regardless of background, is getting instruction that works. Overall, the school ranks 89th out of 649 elementary schools in South Carolina (86th percentile), and it has held a 4-star rating for a decade. What's especially notable is that it achieves these results while spending less per student ($12,453) than many nearby schools—Hodges Elementary spends $16,097 and Merrywood Elementary spends $16,801. Even its district neighbor, Long Cane Primary, spends more at $14,936 per student. Cherokee Trail is simply doing more with less.

Academically, the school is stronger in English Language Arts than math—ELA proficiency ranges from 76% to 85% across grades 3-6, while math ranges from 53% to 79%. The biggest gap is in 5th grade, where 77% of students are proficient in reading but only 53% in math. Attendance is also a strength: the chronic absenteeism rate is 13.9%, well below the state average of 22.3%. One area to watch is that the school's ranking for its female students (67th percentile) lags behind its male students (87th percentile), a gap that flipped from the previous year. Still, for a small-town school that consistently outperforms its larger neighbor Honea Path Elementary (which ranks 236th), Cherokee Trail offers a proven, cost-effective education that gets results for every kind of learner.

360

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,453

Per pupil spending ?

65.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6219 Highway 184 East
Donalds, SC 29638

(864) 379-8500

District: Abbeville 60

Students who attend Cherokee Trail Elementary usually attend:

High:

Dixie High

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.5%

African American:

10.3%

Hispanic:

3.6%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Cherokee Trail Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 89th percentile in 2016 → 86th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (71% vs 55% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 14% of South Carolina elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Abbeville 60

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school71%

District avg56%

South Carolina avg55%

89^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 14%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 11% (2016) to top 14% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.4	89 of 649	86.3%	★★★★☆
2025	83.2	91 of 640	85.8%	★★★★☆
2024	84.3	93 of 638	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	86.0	84 of 644	87.0%	★★★★☆
2022	84.0	95 of 625	84.8%	★★★★☆
2021	72.1	158 of 622	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	78.8	119 of 643	81.5%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	127 of 624	79.6%	★★★★☆
2017	84.9	76 of 639	88.1%	★★★★☆
2016	85.7	66 of 619	89.3%	★★★★☆
2015	72.5	118 of 638	81.5%	★★★★☆
2014	78.4	102 of 630	83.8%	★★★★☆
2013	77.9	107 of 599	82.1%	★★★★☆
2012	73.6	136 of 594	77.1%	★★★★☆
2011	78.3	99 of 597	83.4%	★★★★☆
2010	79.8	99 of 589	83.2%	★★★★☆
2009	76.0	118 of 580	79.7%	★★★★☆
2008	66.8	187 of 577	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	70.7	156 of 566	72.4%	★★★★☆
2006	74.9	122 of 559	78.2%	★★★★☆
2005	76.1	107 of 557	80.8%	★★★★☆
2004	67.7	170 of 550	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2003	68.7	171 of 542	68.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	66.1	193 of 589	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	79.2	99 of 581	83.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.5	137 of 565	75.8%	★★★★☆
2023	88.4	59 of 580	89.8%	★★★★☆
2022	83.3	89 of 573	84.5%	★★★★☆
2021	71.0	150 of 554	72.9%	★★★★☆
2019	75.7	130 of 588	77.9%	★★★★☆
2018	79.0	102 of 570	82.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	90.1	23 of 624	96.3%	★★★★★
2025	87.9	41 of 613	93.3%	★★★★★
2024	88.3	38 of 599	93.7%	★★★★★
2023	90.1	32 of 608	94.7%	★★★★★
2022	86.6	54 of 600	91.0%	★★★★★
2021	72.4	139 of 580	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	73.8	130 of 600	78.3%	★★★★☆
2018	76.1	113 of 588	80.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.9	76 of 583	87.0%	★★★★☆
2025	82.6	82 of 586	86.0%	★★★★☆
2024	84.4	75 of 568	86.8%	★★★★☆
2023	81.1	94 of 582	83.8%	★★★★☆
2022	80.1	106 of 579	81.7%	★★★★☆
2021	66.6	167 of 561	70.2%	★★★★☆
2019	76.2	125 of 590	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	73.3	134 of 571	76.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.3	128 of 454	71.8%	★★★★☆
2025	69.4	139 of 460	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	71.1	122 of 441	72.3%	★★★★☆
2023	70.9	133 of 463	71.3%	★★★★☆
2022	68.2	135 of 455	70.3%	★★★★☆
2021	48.8	237 of 439	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	58.6	203 of 472	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	199 of 457	56.5%	★★★☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	89.5	31 of 320	90.3%	★★★★★
2024	91.8	22 of 325	93.2%	★★★★★
2023	88.3	32 of 325	90.2%	★★★★★
2022	91.8	21 of 310	93.2%	★★★★★
2021	84.3	42 of 311	86.5%	★★★★☆
2019	81.9	50 of 315	84.1%	★★★★☆
2018	88.4	28 of 303	90.8%	★★★★★
2017	87.8	30 of 317	90.5%	★★★★★
2016	78.2	51 of 303	83.2%	★★★★☆
2015	67.8	75 of 301	75.1%	★★★★☆
2014	78.6	51 of 291	82.5%	★★★★☆
2013	70.2	68 of 276	75.4%	★★★★☆
2012	70.0	83 of 271	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2011	72.5	70 of 269	74.0%	★★★★☆
2010	82.1	29 of 261	88.9%	★★★★☆
2009	81.3	36 of 249	85.5%	★★★★☆
2008	63.8	101 of 244	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	75.9	47 of 236	80.1%	★★★★☆
2006	81.4	37 of 231	84.0%	★★★★☆
2005	88.3	13 of 230	94.3%	★★★★★
2004	85.0	21 of 230	90.9%	★★★★★
2003	78.7	46 of 225	79.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	93.7	16 of 295	94.6%	★★★★★
2023	85.6	38 of 299	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	87.2	32 of 290	89.0%	★★★★☆
2021	82.7	41 of 279	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	81.0	50 of 296	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	89.3	21 of 281	92.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	88.5	22 of 307	92.8%	★★★★★
2024	91.0	19 of 307	93.8%	★★★★★
2023	88.6	24 of 313	92.3%	★★★★★
2022	91.9	17 of 300	94.3%	★★★★★
2021	76.3	50 of 288	82.6%	★★★★☆
2019	61.4	86 of 289	70.2%	★★★★☆
2018	84.9	29 of 280	89.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	84.5	40 of 296	86.5%	★★★★☆
2024	83.6	44 of 294	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	86.7	34 of 303	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	93.9	16 of 292	94.5%	★★★★★
2021	83.0	39 of 279	86.0%	★★★★☆
2019	81.4	50 of 296	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	86.8	31 of 284	89.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	85.2	34 of 257	86.8%	★★★★☆
2024	80.0	50 of 255	80.4%	★★★★☆
2023	67.5	81 of 260	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	82.3	35 of 249	85.9%	★★★★☆
2021	66.6	81 of 244	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.8	94 of 258	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.6	58 of 250	76.8%	★★★★☆

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)

Elementary school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)96th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2026)87th percentile~ school

White (2026)72nd percentile-14 vs school

Female (2026)67th percentile-19 vs school

Middle school

Female (2025)95th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)93rd percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)87th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)86th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts79%+17 vs state

Science67%+15 vs state

Mathematics66%+15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cherokee Trail 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	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 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 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
Cherokee Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	6219 Highway 184 East	Donalds	29638	Abbeville County	Abbeville 60	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 379-8500	360	27	13.3		297 (82.5%)	37 (10.3%)	13 (3.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.3%)	84.4	89^th of 649 public elementary schools	86.3%		83.2	91^st of 640 public elementary schools	85.8%	2	76.2	84.8	76.7	78.5		78.6	71.8	53.3	64.3		65.3	69.0	$12,453	$764	$318	$1,082	$9,496	$1,875	$11,371
Honea Path Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	806 East Greer Street	Honea Path	29654	Anderson County	Anderson 02	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 369-7612	571	41	13.9		403 (70.6%)	90 (15.8%)	22 (3.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (9.5%)	62.5	236^th of 649 public elementary schools	63.6%		69.9	196^th of 640 public elementary schools	69.4%	40	58.8	65.9	70.5			67.0	61.4	59.2			48.9		$14,445	$2,904	$924	$3,828	$9,436	$1,181	$10,617
Hodges Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4717 Main Street	Hodges	29653	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 374-5000	349	27	13.0		260 (74.5%)	52 (14.9%)	18 (5.2%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.7%)	93	31^st of 649 public elementary schools	95.2%		95	23^rd of 640 public elementary schools	96.4%	8	85.7	90.7	81.1			80.4	88.3	67.9			86.1		$16,097	$3,193	$836	$4,030	$10,893	$1,174	$12,067
Ware Shoals Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	15269 Indian Mound Road	Ware Shoals	29692	Greenwood County	Greenwood 51	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 861-2261	385	29	13.2		276 (71.7%)	54 (14.0%)	22 (5.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	35.7	419^th of 649 public elementary schools	35.4%		33.8	429^th of 640 public elementary schools	33.0%	10	57.7	61.9				40.9	44.4				42.9
Wright Elementary	Public	K-5	1136 Wright School Road	Belton	29627	Anderson County	Anderson 02	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 296-1776	193	14	13.6		156 (80.8%)	7 (3.6%)	11 (5.7%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (8.3%)	73.3	167^th of 649 public elementary schools	74.3%		91.8	38^th of 640 public elementary schools	94.1%	129	53.2	79.1	80.0			68.1	65.1	80.0			60.4		$15,345	$2,582	$783	$3,366	$10,233	$1,746	$11,979
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		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
Merrywood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	329 Deadfall Road West	Greenwood	29649	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 941-5700	562	46	12.3		265 (47.2%)	185 (32.9%)	82 (14.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.9%)	80.1	121^st of 649 public elementary schools	81.4%		79.1	126^th of 640 public elementary schools	80.3%	5	85.7	75.6	73.8			84.3	60.4	61.9			58.2		$16,801	$4,212	$773	$4,985	$10,490	$1,326	$11,816
Belton Elementary	Public	3-5	202 Watkins Street	Belton	29627	Anderson County	Anderson 02	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 338-7738	379	26	14.5		239 (63.1%)	65 (17.2%)	35 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (10.6%)	72.4	175^th of 649 public elementary schools	73.0%		72.1	183^rd of 640 public elementary schools	71.4%	8	68.0	71.6	69.0			74.2	60.4	60.6			58.4		$13,639	$2,178	$837	$3,014	$9,248	$1,377	$10,625
Belton Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	5901 Belton Highway	Belton	29627	Anderson County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	No	No	Yes	(864) 392-1173	449	31	14.6		353 (78.6%)	49 (10.9%)	21 (4.7%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.7%)	91.6	38^th of 649 public elementary schools	94.1%		82.9	96^th of 640 public elementary schools	85.0%	58	90.0	80.3	91.8	79.6	78.3	87.1	72.7	79.6	71.1	52.1	58.2	80.0	$11,222	$227	$51	$278	$6,355	$4,589	$10,944
Marshall Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	218 Bannister Street	Belton	29627	Anderson County	Anderson 02	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 338-7611	459	29	15.8		289 (63.0%)	66 (14.4%)	52 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (10.9%)								(n/a)													$18,061	$2,604	$1,004	$3,608	$12,488	$1,965	$14,453

Frequently Asked Questions about Cherokee Trail Elementary

Is Cherokee Trail Elementary a good school?

Cherokee Trail Elementary ranks 89^th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Cherokee Trail Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cherokee Trail Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Dixie High

How many students attend Cherokee Trail Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 360 students attended Cherokee Trail Elementary.

What district is Cherokee Trail Elementary in?

Abbeville 60

What is the racial makeup of Cherokee Trail Elementary?

Students at Cherokee Trail Elementary are 83% White, 10% African American, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

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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.