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St. Matthews K-8 School

Public Grades PK, KG-8

525^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 21% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

St. Matthews K-8 School in Saint Matthews, SC, is a public school serving 509 students in grades PK through 8 within the Calhoun 01 district, a small-town school where every student qualifies for free or reduced lunch.

This school has a clear mix of strengths and challenges. The most notable positive is its success with African American students, who earn a 2-star rating and rank in the 40th percentile statewide—a much stronger result than the school's overall 1-star rating. English Language Arts scores are also trending upward, with 3rd-grade proficiency rising from 40.8% to 54.3% over the past few years, and 4th-grade science (38.1% proficiency) now outpaces the district average. However, math is a serious concern. Proficiency rates are dramatically below state averages—only 18.4% of 6th graders and 21% of 8th graders are proficient, compared to state averages around 41-44%. Chronic absenteeism is also unstable, swinging from 34.3% to 12.5% and back to 23.1% in recent years, suggesting attendance is a persistent challenge that needs consistent attention.

Compared to nearby schools, St. Matthews holds its own in some areas. It outperforms its district peer, Sandy Run School, in 4th-grade math (44.4% vs. 19.6%) and 4th-grade science (38.1% vs. 23.5%), though it falls behind in later-grade math. Webber School in Richland 01 demonstrates what's possible in the area with significantly higher ELA and math scores, while Gadsden Elementary spends over twice as much per student yet ranks lower. With a favorable 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio and higher-than-average per-student spending, St. Matthews has solid resources—the key is translating them into stronger math outcomes and more consistent attendance.

509

Students ?

12.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,201

Per pupil spending ?

81.2%

Directly certified for free meals (2023-24) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2023-24)

135 Saints Avenue
Saint Matthews, SC 29135

(803) 655-2750

District: Calhoun 01

Students who attend St. Matthews K-8 School usually attend:

High:

Calhoun County High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

73.7%

White:

14.9%

Hispanic:

9.6%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare St. Matthews K-8 School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 32nd percentile in 2016 → 21st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (37% vs 54% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (21st percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 11 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg37%

South Carolina avg54%

Elementary school

525^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 21%▼ down 12 pts since 2016

From bottom 32% (2016) to bottom 21% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

287^th of 341

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 16%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From bottom 19% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Calhoun 01

66^th of 75Calhoun 01 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	21.7	525 of 661	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.0	498 of 639	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.5	534 of 643	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.1	474 of 644	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.9	508 of 625	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.3	525 of 622	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.0	492 of 643	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	31.7	432 of 624	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.0	404 of 639	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	34.9	419 of 619	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	39.2	397 of 638	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	43.4	393 of 630	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.5	363 of 599	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.4	355 of 594	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	41.4	397 of 597	33.5%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.7	230 of 384	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.0	245 of 380	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.2	232 of 369	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.9	224 of 394	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.2	282 of 393	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.6	293 of 350	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.6	257 of 421	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	52.6	178 of 412	56.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.8	465 of 599	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.6	432 of 580	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.2	520 of 568	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	23.1	461 of 580	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.5	453 of 573	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.9	425 of 588	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	44.6	325 of 570	43.0%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	22.6	523 of 634	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.6	503 of 612	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.5	465 of 602	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.4	436 of 608	28.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.8	483 of 600	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.9	482 of 580	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.9	449 of 600	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	42.5	340 of 588	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.0	475 of 591	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.2	472 of 585	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.3	420 of 571	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.6	422 of 582	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.6	489 of 579	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	14.0	490 of 561	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.9	491 of 590	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.5	460 of 571	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.6	287 of 341	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.4	219 of 321	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.4	225 of 322	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	27.5	235 of 325	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.7	214 of 310	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	15.4	267 of 311	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	32.6	217 of 315	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.8	200 of 303	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.1	204 of 317	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2016	22.9	245 of 303	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	36.7	192 of 301	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2014	37.1	197 of 291	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	39.5	185 of 276	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	59.5	122 of 271	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.2	153 of 269	43.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	196 of 258	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.1	123 of 251	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.9	124 of 246	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	45.3	131 of 253	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.7	86 of 249	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	22.5	209 of 235	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	55.9	87 of 252	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.2	54 of 237	77.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	14.3	281 of 310	9.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	34.7	196 of 295	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.8	222 of 293	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.0	219 of 299	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.9	173 of 290	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	34.0	204 of 296	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.3	188 of 281	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.2	262 of 325	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	39.9	186 of 308	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.1	186 of 304	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	34.9	208 of 313	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.1	151 of 300	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	20.7	239 of 288	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.2	135 of 289	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	54.1	111 of 280	60.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.0	233 of 310	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	30.1	215 of 298	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.3	184 of 292	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.9	224 of 303	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.3	214 of 292	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.1	265 of 279	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	32.3	204 of 296	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.3	190 of 284	33.1%	★★☆☆☆

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

African American (2026)40th percentile+20 vs school

Female (2026)22nd percentile~ school

Male (2026)20th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)18th percentile-3 vs school

Middle school

Male (2026)25th percentile+9 vs school

African American (2026)24th percentile+8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)19th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)9th percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts47%-14 vs state

Science30%-22 vs state

Mathematics30%-18 vs state

★

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Schools Near St. Matthews K-8 School

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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 (2026)
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	Directly certified (2023-24)	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	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
St. Matthews K-8 School	Public	PK, KG-8	135 Saints Avenue	Saint Matthews	29135	Calhoun County	Calhoun 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 655-2750	509	42	12.1	81.2%	76 (14.9%)	375 (73.7%)	49 (9.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	21.7	525^th of 661 public elementary schools	20.6%		24	498^th of 639 public elementary schools	22.1%	27	54.3	52.4	36.9	43.3	47.9	46.5	36.9	44.4	32.6	18.4	22.9	21.0	38.1	21.7	$18,201	$1,198	$316	$1,514	$14,163	$2,524	$16,687
Marshall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1441 Marshall Street	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-7865	625	39	16.1	82.0%	13 (2.1%)	557 (89.1%)	21 (3.4%)	15 (2.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.4%)	14.4	593^rd of 661 public elementary schools	10.3%		15.2	563^rd of 639 public elementary schools	11.9%	30	41.9	49.4	37.0				38.1	28.3	26.1				37.1		$13,385	$1,272	$1,097	$2,369	$9,366	$1,650	$11,016
Brookdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	394 Brookdale Drive	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-5982	215	16	13.2	82.9%	6 (2.8%)	185 (86.0%)	18 (8.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	24.3	507^th of 661 public elementary schools	23.3%		21.6	517^th of 639 public elementary schools	19.1%	10	41.9	50.0	32.1				51.7	34.4	46.4				37.6		$19,749	$2,399	$1,380	$3,779	$13,794	$2,176	$15,970
Sheridan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1139 Hillsboro Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-7504	450	32	13.8	81.9%	11 (2.4%)	380 (84.4%)	35 (7.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	16 (3.6%)	14.1	596^th of 661 public elementary schools	9.8%		11.2	591^st of 639 public elementary schools	7.5%	5	45.3	43.8	28.3				28.0	50.0	20.8				29.1		$15,638	$1,778	$1,201	$2,980	$10,970	$1,688	$12,658
Felton Laboratory Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	115 Lance Street	Orangeburg	29116	Orangeburg County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 536-7034	279	13	20.8	—	2 (0.7%)	238 (85.3%)	9 (3.2%)	15 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.4%)	31.6	447^th of 661 public elementary schools	32.4%		31.3	438^th of 639 public elementary schools	31.5%	9	39.3	65.5	39.5	72.4	57.2	47.2	57.1	24.1	23.7		28.6	25.0	41.4	41.4	$15,846	$1,349	$1,000	$2,349	$9,395	$4,102	$13,497
Whittaker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	790 Whittaker Parkway	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-6559	325	21	15.4	86.7%	7 (2.2%)	289 (88.9%)	22 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	25.7	491^st of 661 public elementary schools	25.7%		21.1	522^nd of 639 public elementary schools	18.3%	31	50.0	51.1	51.1				40.0	37.8	44.5				33.4		$16,353	$1,796	$1,136	$2,932	$11,274	$2,147	$13,421
Gadsden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1660 South Goodwin Circle	Gadsden	29052	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 353-2231	133	15	8.8	88.8%	6 (4.5%)	121 (91.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.8%)								(n/a)															$30,712	$1,842	$1,194	$3,037	$23,463	$4,212	$27,675
Sandy Run School	Public	PK, KG-8	450 Old Swamp Road	Swansea	29160	Lexington County	Calhoun 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 655-2746	559	45	12.5	75.0%	304 (54.4%)	211 (37.7%)	32 (5.7%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	18.7	551^st of 661 public elementary schools	16.6%		25.4	486^th of 639 public elementary schools	23.9%	65	53.7	54.9	37.1	38.5	52.3	42.6	38.9	19.6	35.5	32.7	43.2	33.4	23.5	21.1	$16,349	$999	$262	$1,262	$12,689	$2,398	$15,087
Mellichamp Elementary	Public	3-5	350 Murray Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-8044	144	14	10.0	90.0%	9 (6.3%)	123 (85.4%)	9 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	4.6	654^th of 661 public elementary schools	1.1%		5.1	631^st of 639 public elementary schools	1.3%	23	34.2	40.4	17.8				15.8	23.4	11.1				21.3		$27,469	$4,834	$1,826	$6,660	$17,550	$3,259	$20,809
Willie Jeffries School of Excellence	Public, Charter	K-7	3000 Five Chop Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 937-3400	274	25	11.1	—	15 (5.5%)	243 (88.7%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.3%)	2.6	659^th of 661 public elementary schools	0.3%					(n/a)	25.5	29.7	29.2	21.3	35.9		11.8	13.5	9.8	2.1	6.3		18.9	19.2	$16,184	$311	$1,922	$2,232	$8,547	$5,405	$13,952

Frequently Asked Questions about St. Matthews K-8 School

How many students attend St. Matthews K-8 School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 509 students attended St. Matthews K-8 School.

Is St. Matthews K-8 School a good school?

St. Matthews K-8 School ranks in the bottom 20.6% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of St. Matthews K-8 School?

Students at St. Matthews K-8 School are 74% African American, 15% White, 10% Hispanic.

What district is St. Matthews K-8 School in?

Calhoun 01

What schools do graduates of St. Matthews K-8 School attend?

Students who attend St. Matthews K-8 School usually go on to attend:

High : Calhoun County High

Rate St. Matthews K-8 School!

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 12, 2026

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

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 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.