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Thornwell School for the Arts

Q: Is Thornwell School for the Arts a good school?

Thornwell School for the Arts ranks in the bottom 14.5% of South Carolina elementary schools.

Q: How many students attend Thornwell School for the Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 188 students attended Thornwell School for the Arts.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Thornwell School for the Arts?

Students at Thornwell School for the Arts are 65% African American, 15% White, 15% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

Q: What schools do graduates of Thornwell School for the Arts attend?

Students who attend Thornwell School for the Arts usually go on to attend: Middle : Hartsville Middle High : Hartsville High

Public, Magnet Grades 1-5

547^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Thornwell School for the Arts is a public magnet elementary school serving grades 1-5 in Hartsville, South Carolina, with a total enrollment of 192 students. The school is part of the Darlington 01 school district, which is ranked 47 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite its specialized focus on the arts, Thornwell School for the Arts consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of South Carolina elementary schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics significantly below the state and district averages. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates were 34.2% in 3rd grade ELA, 47.1% in 4th grade ELA, and 13.4% in 5th grade Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 61.8%, 63.5%, and 48.1%, respectively. The school's performance also lags behind nearby schools, such as North Hartsville Elementary and Carolina Elementary, which have significantly higher proficiency rates across all grade levels and subject areas.

Despite the school's relatively low student-to-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending compared to nearby schools, Thornwell School for the Arts has not shown any significant improvement in its academic performance over the past several years. The school's high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.5% to 27.2%, may be a contributing factor to its struggles. Addressing the unique needs of the school's predominantly low-socioeconomic status student population and implementing targeted interventions may be necessary to drive sustainable improvements in the school's academic outcomes.

188

Students ?

9.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$21,716

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

437 West Carolina Avenue
Hartsville, SC 29550

(843) 857-3090

District: Darlington 01

Students who attend Thornwell School for the Arts usually attend:

Middle:	Hartsville Middle
High:	Hartsville High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

64.9%

White:

15.4%

Two or more races:

14.9%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Thornwell School for the Arts to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 15th percentile in 2015 → 15th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (36% vs 56% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (33% vs 22% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school36%

District avg48%

South Carolina avg56%

547^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Darlington 01

47^th of 75Darlington 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	17.2	547 of 640	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.3	584 of 638	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.3	619 of 644	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.2	569 of 625	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.2	597 of 622	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.0	604 of 643	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	8.7	600 of 624	3.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	19.7	542 of 639	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	29.3	463 of 619	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	23.0	544 of 638	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	50.4	347 of 630	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.6	405 of 599	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	39.4	403 of 594	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	32.7	449 of 597	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	23.8	506 of 589	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	18.5	518 of 580	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	25.4	485 of 577	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	44.7	358 of 566	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	34.5	413 of 559	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	13.9	514 of 557	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	24.8	457 of 550	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	17.5	480 of 542	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	20.5	339 of 381	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.8	354 of 369	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.7	354 of 394	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.3	323 of 393	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.0	322 of 350	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.2	387 of 421	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.3	401 of 412	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	10.2	533 of 573	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.6	511 of 554	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.2	555 of 588	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	10.0	539 of 570	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	0.0	105 of 105	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	25.6	487 of 613	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	530 of 599	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.0	582 of 608	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	543 of 600	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.1	557 of 580	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.1	561 of 600	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	9.4	575 of 588	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	20.2	478 of 586	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	5.5	566 of 582	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.4	544 of 579	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	5.2	552 of 561	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.1	552 of 590	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	7.8	554 of 571	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)21st percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)18th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2025)11th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2022)7th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2023)<1st percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts40%-23 vs state

Science35%-14 vs state

Mathematics31%-21 vs state

★

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Schools Near Thornwell School for the Arts

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)						SC READY Mathematics (2025)						SC READY Science (2025)		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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Thornwell School for the Arts	Public, Magnet	1-5	437 West Carolina Avenue	Hartsville	29550	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 857-3090	188	19	9.8		29 (15.4%)	122 (64.9%)	9 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (14.9%)	17.2	547^th of 640 public elementary schools	14.5%		11.3	584^th of 638 public elementary schools	8.5%	37	34.2	47.1	40.0				48.8	26.4	13.4				35.3		$21,716	$2,071	$1,555	$3,626	$15,553	$2,537	$18,090
Carolina Elementary	Public	1-5	719 West Carolina Avenue	Hartsville	29550	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 857-3230	212	17	12.7		129 (60.8%)	44 (20.8%)	17 (8.0%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (9.0%)	70.1	195^th of 640 public elementary schools	69.5%		63.2	228^th of 638 public elementary schools	64.3%	33	76.3	68.7	68.2				71.0	54.2	59.1				50.1		$19,903	$4,158	$1,181	$5,339	$12,660	$1,903	$14,564
Butler Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	710 South 5th Street	Hartsville	29550	Darlington County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(843) 287-2399	393	33	11.9		146 (37.2%)	185 (47.1%)	30 (7.6%)	10 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.6%)	49.5	310^th of 640 public elementary schools	51.6%		47.3	341^st of 638 public elementary schools	46.6%	31	60.0	70.7	50.0	74.4	74.4	70.5	57.7	48.8	42.1	27.9	51.1	43.2	34.1	44.2	$15,317	$772	$1,217	$1,990	$8,846	$4,481	$13,327
North Hartsville Elementary	Public	1-5	110 School Drive	Hartsville	29550	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 383-3115	486	33	14.7		306 (63.0%)	93 (19.1%)	29 (6.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (11.5%)	39.7	383^rd of 640 public elementary schools	40.2%		58.2	263^rd of 638 public elementary schools	58.8%	120	52.5	59.1	58.9				52.6	41.8	43.2				37.3		$16,846	$2,395	$1,238	$3,632	$11,672	$1,542	$13,213
Southside Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	1615 Blanding Drive	Hartsville	29550	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 383-3310	360	32	11.1		124 (34.4%)	183 (50.8%)	20 (5.6%)	6 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.5%)								(n/a)															$18,157	$1,510	$1,339	$2,849	$13,800	$1,509	$15,309
Bay Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1251 Bay Road	Hartsville	29550	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 398-6300	563	40	14.0		195 (34.6%)	283 (50.3%)	35 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (8.5%)	33.8	427^th of 640 public elementary schools	33.3%		44.6	355^th of 638 public elementary schools	44.4%	72	51.9	51.5	58.2				34.3	54.5	36.0				38.4		$15,999	$2,709	$1,475	$4,184	$10,374	$1,441	$11,815
Plainview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	16002 Highway 102	Patrick	29584	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 498-6633	168	14	12.0		156 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.6%)	29.5	454^th of 640 public elementary schools	29.1%		45.4	350^th of 638 public elementary schools	45.1%	104	65.2		33.3				47.8		29.6						$14,956	$961	$1,204	$2,165	$10,702	$2,089	$12,791
McBee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	284 E. Maple Ave	Mc Bee	29101	Chesterfield County	Chesterfield 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 335-8347	349	30	11.6		230 (65.9%)	62 (17.8%)	44 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.7%)	35.6	413^th of 640 public elementary schools	35.5%		43.4	360^th of 638 public elementary schools	43.6%	53	45.4	67.8	53.8				25.5	42.3	41.8				44.1		$15,844	$1,422	$1,100	$2,521	$11,833	$1,489	$13,322
Pate Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	1010 Indian Branch Road	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 398-5070	397	29	13.8		94 (23.7%)	233 (58.7%)	26 (6.5%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	39 (9.8%)								(n/a)															$16,034	$2,394	$1,444	$3,839	$10,736	$1,460	$12,196
Brockington Elementary	Public, Magnet	3-5	413 Brockington Road	Darlington	29532	Darlington County	Darlington 01	No	Yes	No	Yes	(843) 398-2500	303	23	13.2		64 (21.1%)	190 (62.7%)	21 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.2%)	42.8	358^th of 640 public elementary schools	44.1%		34.3	419^th of 638 public elementary schools	34.3%	61	49.2	49.5	58.8				60.7	47.5	56.5				35.6		$16,987	$2,731	$1,275	$4,006	$11,137	$1,844	$12,981

Frequently Asked Questions about Thornwell School for the Arts

How many students attend Thornwell School for the Arts?

In the 2024-25 school year, 188 students attended Thornwell School for the Arts.

Is Thornwell School for the Arts a good school?

Thornwell School for the Arts ranks in the bottom 14.5% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Thornwell School for the Arts in?

Darlington 01

What schools do graduates of Thornwell School for the Arts attend?

Students who attend Thornwell School for the Arts usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hartsville Middle
High : Hartsville High

What is the racial makeup of Thornwell School for the Arts?

Students at Thornwell School for the Arts are 65% African American, 15% White, 15% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

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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.