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Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary

Q: Is Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary a good school?

Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary ranks 208 th of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

208^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 69% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary is a PK-5 public school in Greenwood, SC, serving 680 students as part of the high-performing Greenwood 50 district. The school holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 69th percentile statewide, placing it in the upper third of South Carolina elementary schools.

This school stands out for its exceptional results with students who often face the greatest challenges. Mays Elementary earns a 4-star rating for its work with students from low-income backgrounds (the school has a 100% free/reduced lunch rate) and for its African American students, ranking in the 73rd and 79th percentiles respectively for these groups. The school also keeps chronic absenteeism remarkably low at 17.3%, well below the district (22.6%) and state (22.3%) averages. Perhaps most impressive is the school's efficiency: at $13,765 per student, it spends the least of any elementary school in its district, yet still outperforms several peers, including Woodfields Elementary and Eleanor S. Rice Elementary. The contrast with Greenwood Charter Academy is stark—Mays students achieve nearly three times the math proficiency rate in 3rd grade (69.9% vs. 24.1%) despite the charter school spending more per pupil.

While English Language Arts is a clear strength—with proficiency rates in grades 3-5 all exceeding state averages by significant margins—there are two areas of concern. Most notably, 4th-grade math proficiency plunged to 41.7% in the most recent year, a 19-point drop from the prior year and well below district and state averages. Additionally, a persistent gender gap exists, with female students ranking in the 76th percentile compared to males at the 57th percentile. These issues aside, the school's steady improvement since pandemic-era lows, combined with its strong subgroup performance and efficient spending, make it a solid choice for families in the Greenwood area.

680

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,765

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1608 Florida Avenue
Greenwood, SC 29646

(864) 941-5535

District: Greenwood 50

Students who attend Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Westview Middle
High:	Emerald High

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.7%

African American:

35.9%

Hispanic:

14.0%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 57th percentile in 2016 → 69th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (63% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the South Carolina median (69th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school63%

District avg66%

South Carolina avg58%

208^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 31%▲ up 11 pts since 2016

From top 43% (2016) to top 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 8Elementary Schools in the Greenwood 50

16^th of 75Greenwood 50 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	67.6	208 of 661	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.8	218 of 639	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	69.1	189 of 643	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	58.3	260 of 644	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.6	253 of 625	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.7	395 of 622	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.4	382 of 643	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.5	271 of 624	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2017	46.1	344 of 639	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	55.7	265 of 619	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	51.6	291 of 638	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	62.2	246 of 630	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	52.7	316 of 599	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2012	55.6	296 of 594	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.5	328 of 597	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	52.3	301 of 589	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2009	41.5	376 of 580	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	53.9	286 of 577	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	44.1	363 of 566	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	35.5	404 of 559	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	30.7	431 of 557	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	32.1	412 of 550	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	55.5	267 of 542	50.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	71.8	79 of 384	79.4%	★★★★☆
2025	64.8	107 of 380	71.8%	★★★★☆
2024	75.1	61 of 369	83.5%	★★★★☆
2023	73.0	72 of 394	81.7%	★★★★☆
2022	84.5	34 of 393	91.3%	★★★★★
2021	58.9	116 of 350	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.1	172 of 421	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.0	118 of 412	71.4%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	72.8	147 of 599	75.5%	★★★★☆
2025	70.5	172 of 580	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	70.9	159 of 568	72.0%	★★★★☆
2023	65.4	195 of 580	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.1	220 of 573	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	32.1	371 of 554	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	44.0	335 of 588	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.0	246 of 570	56.8%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.8	86 of 196	56.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	74.0	28 of 115	75.7%	★★★★☆
2022	60.7	44 of 115	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.3	172 of 634	72.9%	★★★★☆
2025	65.4	187 of 612	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	75.7	116 of 602	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	57.7	239 of 608	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.1	247 of 600	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.2	397 of 580	31.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	45.7	345 of 600	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	53.1	266 of 588	54.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	56.7	252 of 591	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.7	246 of 585	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.0	206 of 571	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.9	304 of 582	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.6	283 of 579	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.4	358 of 561	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.5	384 of 590	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.8	283 of 571	50.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	69.3	146 of 463	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.6	128 of 459	72.1%	★★★★☆
2024	70.7	124 of 446	72.2%	★★★★☆
2023	58.4	200 of 463	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.2	246 of 455	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.0	349 of 439	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.8	279 of 472	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	66.8	147 of 457	67.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

African American (2026)79th percentile+11 vs school

Hispanic (2023)76th percentile+16 vs school

Female (2026)75th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile+4 vs school

White (2026)68th percentile~ school

Male (2026)57th percentile-11 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)56th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts73%+8 vs state

Science63%+11 vs state

Mathematics54%~ state avg

5.0

3 ratings · 3 written reviews

5★3

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Friday, October 14, 2022

Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary is a wonderful school family to work with and for. Close Quote

by a citizen
Thursday, January 27, 2022

Dr. Mays is an excellent school with awesome families, excellent teachers and wonderful staff. Every year this school's climate is better and better. Watch out, because this school is going places. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, February 11, 2017

Wonderful family oriented school. It is very obvious the teachers and administration are truly there to make a difference in the lives of their students. So thankful both of my children have the opportunity to go to this school. Close Quote

Schools Near Dr. Benjamin E. Mays 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 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
Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1608 Florida Avenue	Greenwood	29646	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 941-5535	680	45	15.1	100.0%	311 (45.7%)	244 (35.9%)	95 (14.0%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.6%)	20 (2.9%)	67.6	208^th of 661 public elementary schools	68.5%		65.8	218^th of 639 public elementary schools	65.9%	10	77.4	72.3	69.8				69.9	41.7	52.1				62.9		$13,765	$2,698	$1,018	$3,716	$9,040	$1,009	$10,049
Mathews Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	725 Marshall Road	Greenwood	29646	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 941-5680	529	46	11.4	100.0%	146 (27.6%)	254 (48.0%)	110 (20.8%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.6%)	82	110^th of 661 public elementary schools	83.4%		79.4	121^st of 639 public elementary schools	81.1%	11	87.7	91.3	75.0				67.7	62.3	50.0				84.0		$19,054	$3,630	$854	$4,484	$12,992	$1,578	$14,570
Lakeview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	660 Center Street	Greenwood	29649	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 941-5760	426	39	10.8	100.0%	157 (36.9%)	177 (41.5%)	60 (14.1%)	9 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	5 (1.2%)	16 (3.8%)	63.2	237^th of 661 public elementary schools	64.1%		73.4	178^th of 639 public elementary schools	72.1%	59	66.7	64.7	77.9				57.2	51.0	57.3				53.0		$17,926	$3,691	$928	$4,619	$11,767	$1,541	$13,308
Greenwood Charter Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	412 Bypass 72 NW	Greenwood	29649	Greenwood County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(864) 854-8450	432	38	11.3	3.6%	217 (50.2%)	157 (36.3%)	25 (5.8%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.5%)	23.3	513^th of 661 public elementary schools	22.4%		24.8	493^rd of 639 public elementary schools	22.8%	20	50.0	50.8	56.5	51.1	55.0	50.0	24.1	22.1	34.8	23.8	30.8	35.0	42.4	31.9	$12,667	$189	$1,249	$1,438	$7,747	$3,482	$11,229
Pinecrest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	220 East Northside Drive	Greenwood	29649	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 941-5580	379	40	9.4	100.0%	70 (18.5%)	184 (48.5%)	107 (28.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	14 (3.7%)	69.6	196^th of 661 public elementary schools	70.3%		78.1	132^nd of 639 public elementary schools	79.3%	64	64.8	68.8	73.4				58.0	64.1	60.9				60.9		$18,423	$3,509	$959	$4,468	$12,517	$1,438	$13,955
Eleanor S. Rice Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1802 East Durst Avenue	Greenwood	29649	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 941-5660	535	41	12.9	100.0%	165 (30.8%)	304 (56.8%)	34 (6.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	25 (4.7%)	51	311^th of 661 public elementary schools	53.0%		59.4	257^th of 639 public elementary schools	59.8%	54	70.2	76.4	57.8				54.6	46.2	33.7				49.5		$17,049	$2,913	$765	$3,679	$12,016	$1,354	$13,370
Woodfields Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1032 Emerald Road	Greenwood	29646	Greenwood County	Greenwood 50	No	Yes	No	Yes	(864) 941-5540	521	45	11.5	100.0%	113 (21.7%)	241 (46.3%)	141 (27.1%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	19 (3.6%)	64.6	228^th of 661 public elementary schools	65.5%		66.5	213^th of 639 public elementary schools	66.7%	15	73.1	65.8	74.3				61.6	42.1	63.5				55.3		$18,849	$3,355	$1,007	$4,362	$12,966	$1,521	$14,487
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	100.0%	265 (47.2%)	185 (32.9%)	82 (14.6%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.9%)	80	123^rd of 661 public elementary schools	81.4%		79.1	126^th of 639 public elementary schools	80.3%	3	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
Ninety Six Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	121 South Cambridge Street	Ninety Six	29666	Greenwood County	Greenwood 52	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 543-3112	283	25	11.3	67.8%	219 (77.4%)	41 (14.5%)	8 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.3%)								(n/a)															$13,979	$1,686	$1,202	$2,888	$9,324	$1,767	$11,091
Ninety Six Elementary School	Public	3-5	810 Johnston Road	Ninety Six	29666	Greenwood County	Greenwood 52	No	No	No	No	(864) 543-4995	299	26	11.7	66.9%	225 (75.3%)	50 (16.7%)	9 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.0%)	64.7	225^th of 661 public elementary schools	66.0%		73.7	172^nd of 639 public elementary schools	73.1%	53	60.6	63.9	67.4				61.6	66.0	74.5				51.5		$13,939	$1,877	$345	$2,222	$9,135	$2,583	$11,718

Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary

What schools do graduates of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Westview Middle
High : Emerald High

Is Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary a good school?

Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary ranks 208^th of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary in?

Greenwood 50

How many students attend Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 680 students attended Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary?

Students at Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary are 46% White, 36% African American, 14% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Rate Dr. Benjamin E. Mays Elementary!

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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.