Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Waccamaw Elementary

Q: Is Waccamaw Elementary a good school?

Waccamaw Elementary ranks 302 nd of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

302^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 54% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Waccamaw Elementary is a large PK-5 school in Conway, SC, serving 1,047 students in the Horry 01 district, which ranks among the top districts in the state.

Waccamaw is a school of contrasts. On one hand, its early-grade instruction is solid—3rd grade reading and math scores closely track district averages, and the school does an especially good job supporting its students from low-income households, who perform at the 68th percentile statewide. On the other hand, the school shows a troubling pattern of decline as students move up. In math, proficiency plunges from 63.7% in 3rd grade to just 38.6% in 5th grade—a 25-point drop that has persisted for three straight years. Nearby schools like River Oaks Elementary and Kingston Elementary show much smaller declines, suggesting this "upper-grade slide" is specific to Waccamaw rather than inevitable. Reading shows a similar, though less severe, pattern, with proficiency falling from 68.9% in 3rd grade to 56.1% in 5th grade.

For parents, the most important takeaways are these: Waccamaw provides a strong foundation in the early grades, and its teachers work effectively with students facing economic challenges. However, the school struggles to maintain that momentum in upper elementary, particularly in math. The school also faces challenges serving students with disabilities (ranking at the 21st percentile) and its gifted program (29th percentile), suggesting that students at both ends of the learning spectrum may need more support. With a student-teacher ratio of 15.1 and per-student spending of $13,533, the school has resources to address these issues. Chronic absenteeism (19.2%) is slightly below the district average, which is a positive sign. Overall, Waccamaw is a school with solid early-grade teaching that needs focused attention on upper-grade math instruction and more differentiated support for special populations.

1,047

Students ?

15.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,664

Per pupil spending ?

62.0%

Directly certified for free meals (2023-24) ?

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

95%

Students (all grades) with required immunizations (2025-26)

251 Claridy Road
Conway, SC 29526

(843) 347-4684

District: Horry 01

Students who attend Waccamaw Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Black Water Middle
High:	Carolina Forest High

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.5%

Hispanic:

22.9%

African American:

17.7%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Waccamaw Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 72nd percentile in 2016 → 54th in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the South Carolina median (54th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

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

!Near the bottom of Horry 01's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg63%

South Carolina avg58%

302^nd of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 46%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From top 28% (2016) to top 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd of 26Elementary Schools in the Horry 01

9^th of 75Horry 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
2026	51.7	302 of 661	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.2	274 of 639	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.4	289 of 643	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.1	251 of 644	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.2	241 of 625	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.1	250 of 622	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.5	252 of 643	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.2	216 of 624	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	73.0	151 of 639	76.4%	★★★★☆
2016	68.8	171 of 619	72.4%	★★★★☆
2015	53.9	274 of 638	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	52.0	332 of 630	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	56.9	285 of 599	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.0	254 of 594	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2011	62.5	229 of 597	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2010	74.2	126 of 589	78.6%	★★★★☆
2009	78.6	91 of 580	84.3%	★★★★☆
2008	74.2	119 of 577	79.4%	★★★★☆
2007	72.4	140 of 566	75.3%	★★★★☆
2006	73.7	126 of 559	77.5%	★★★★☆
2005	75.0	114 of 557	79.5%	★★★★☆
2004	62.5	212 of 550	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2003	71.8	147 of 542	72.9%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	129 of 384	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	62.1	119 of 380	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	75.7	59 of 369	84.0%	★★★★☆
2023	57.1	144 of 394	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.0	139 of 393	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.3	86 of 350	75.4%	★★★★☆
2019	64.2	132 of 421	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.2	87 of 412	78.9%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	26.3	123 of 156	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.8	97 of 147	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.7	97 of 143	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	90 of 174	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	63.6	54 of 151	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	53.4	50 of 122	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.9	113 of 189	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.1	46 of 161	71.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	45.8	53 of 106	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.1	67 of 104	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	32.9	49 of 79	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.0	41 of 72	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.1	39 of 84	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.5	26 of 84	69.0%	★★★★☆
2019	51.2	52 of 104	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	38.8	51 of 82	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.6	243 of 599	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	58.2	237 of 580	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.3	248 of 568	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.1	310 of 580	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.7	292 of 573	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.5	261 of 554	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.7	242 of 588	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.0	209 of 570	63.3%	★★★☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.6	175 of 196	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	45.7	60 of 82	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	43.8	118 of 147	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	57.3	68 of 159	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.3	68 of 156	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.5	51 of 114	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	55.0	52 of 115	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.5	35 of 115	69.6%	★★★★☆
2021	71.5	21 of 86	75.6%	★★★★☆
2019	63.0	43 of 116	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.9	52 of 104	50.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	64.4	201 of 634	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	59.4	234 of 612	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.3	199 of 602	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	70.2	158 of 608	74.0%	★★★★☆
2022	72.9	136 of 600	77.3%	★★★★☆
2021	78.0	102 of 580	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	74.8	122 of 600	79.7%	★★★★☆
2018	77.3	106 of 588	82.0%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	41.6	356 of 591	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.5	297 of 585	49.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	295 of 571	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	66.0	189 of 582	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.4	176 of 579	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.3	203 of 561	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	57.9	250 of 590	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.5	226 of 571	60.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.8	314 of 463	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.9	291 of 459	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.1	307 of 446	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.1	268 of 463	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.5	253 of 455	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.8	229 of 439	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.4	237 of 472	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.3	208 of 457	54.5%	★★★☆☆

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 (2026)68th percentile+14 vs school

African American (2026)66th percentile+12 vs school

Female (2026)59th percentile+5 vs school

Hispanic (2026)57th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)50th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)40th percentile-15 vs school

White (2026)32nd percentile-22 vs school

Disabled (2026)21st percentile-33 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2026)11th percentile-44 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts63%~ state avg

Science52%~ state avg

Mathematics50%-4 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Waccamaw Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, March 27, 2017

great school Close Quote

Schools Near Waccamaw Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)						SC READY Mathematics (2026)						SC READY Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		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	Vaccination: Students (all grades) with required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	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
Waccamaw Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	251 Claridy Road	Conway	29526	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 347-4684	1,047	69	15.1	62.0%	518 (49.5%)	185 (17.7%)	240 (22.9%)	7 (0.7%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	92 (8.8%)	51.7	302^nd of 661 public elementary schools	54.3%		55.2	274^th of 639 public elementary schools	57.1%	28	68.9	66.0	56.1				63.7	47.9	38.6				52.1		95%		$13,664	$1,338	$501	$1,839	$10,474	$1,351	$11,824
Conway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1101 Snowhill Drive	Conway	29526	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 488-0696	583	42	13.8	57.5%	316 (54.2%)	150 (25.7%)	61 (10.5%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (8.7%)	74.3	164^th of 661 public elementary schools	75.2%		73.4	177^th of 639 public elementary schools	72.3%	13	76.4	83.4	67.5				74.1	56.0	55.8				58.4		95%		$15,048	$650	$564	$1,213	$12,262	$1,573	$13,835
South Conway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3001 Fourth Avenue	Conway	29526	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 488-0272	642	49	13.1	74.3%	329 (51.2%)	167 (26.0%)	78 (12.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (10.4%)	62.1	243^rd of 661 public elementary schools	63.2%		73.8	170^th of 639 public elementary schools	73.4%	73	69.2	65.3	74.2				56.7	52.2	61.8				48.9		92%		$17,052	$1,903	$703	$2,606	$12,454	$1,992	$14,446
Homewood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	108 North Clemson Circle	Conway	29526	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 365-2512	671	50	13.4	71.6%	251 (37.4%)	190 (28.3%)	174 (25.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (8.2%)	58.3	262^nd of 661 public elementary schools	60.4%		62.8	237^th of 639 public elementary schools	62.9%	25	62.5	64.9	69.7				57.1	50.0	58.7				51.1		96%		$14,944	$1,909	$695	$2,604	$10,755	$1,585	$12,340
Carolina Forest Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	285 Carolina Forest Boulevard	Myrtle Beach	29579	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 236-0001	1,336	87	15.3	52.8%	739 (55.3%)	181 (13.5%)	219 (16.4%)	43 (3.2%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	151 (11.3%)	74.1	166^th of 661 public elementary schools	74.9%		79.3	122^nd of 639 public elementary schools	80.9%	44	77.0	71.3	72.3				74.3	57.0	54.6				60.7		93%		$13,172	$956	$501	$1,457	$10,266	$1,449	$11,715
Palmetto Bays Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	8900 Highway 544	Myrtle Beach	29588	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 236-6200	556	41	13.5	71.7%	237 (42.6%)	68 (12.2%)	189 (34.0%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (9.7%)	46.1	344^th of 661 public elementary schools	48.0%		57.6	267^th of 639 public elementary schools	58.2%	77	61.8	54.4	58.8				58.4	43.2	46.3				53.1		92%		$15,866	$1,823	$686	$2,508	$11,515	$1,842	$13,358
Academy of Hope Charter	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	3521 Juniper Bay Road	Conway	29527	Horry County	Horry 01	Yes	No	No	Yes	(843) 397-5712	100	12	8.3	—	19 (19.0%)	66 (66.0%)	6 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.0%)	8 (8.0%)								(n/a)															≥ 96%		$19,574	$1,164	$636	$1,799	$13,230	$4,544	$17,774
Forestbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4000 Panthers Parkway	Myrtle Beach	29579	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 236-8100	930	60	15.5	49.0%	563 (60.5%)	72 (7.7%)	199 (21.4%)	10 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (8.9%)	80.5	120^th of 661 public elementary schools	81.8%		79.4	120^th of 639 public elementary schools	81.2%		75.8	77.4	77.0				73.5	63.9	63.0				62.0		92%		$13,748	$1,086	$476	$1,562	$10,607	$1,579	$12,186
Pee Dee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6555 Highway 134	Conway	29527	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 397-2579	927	67	13.8	64.8%	453 (48.9%)	174 (18.8%)	219 (23.6%)	3 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	76 (8.2%)	52.4	297^th of 661 public elementary schools	55.1%		51.7	299^th of 639 public elementary schools	53.2%	2	64.9	62.0	60.7				58.5	50.4	47.4				51.2		95%		$14,799	$1,441	$788	$2,229	$11,155	$1,414	$12,570
Pine Island Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	250 Ronald McNair Blvd.	Myrtle Beach	29579	Horry County	Horry 01	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(843) 488-8001	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	59.7	254^th of 661 public elementary schools	61.6%					(n/a)	68.8	64.5	67.7				64.3	45.4	58.1				48.7		94%

Frequently Asked Questions about Waccamaw Elementary

What district is Waccamaw Elementary in?

Horry 01

What schools do graduates of Waccamaw Elementary attend?

Students who attend Waccamaw Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Black Water Middle
High : Carolina Forest High

What is the racial makeup of Waccamaw Elementary?

Students at Waccamaw Elementary are 49% White, 23% Hispanic, 18% African American, 9% Two or more races.

Is Waccamaw Elementary a good school?

Waccamaw Elementary ranks 302^nd of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Waccamaw Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,047 students attended Waccamaw Elementary.

Rate Waccamaw Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SCSouth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

SCSouth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Conway, SC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Waccamaw Elementary!

Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 20, 2026

2025–26 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data & dropout ratesOct 12, 2026

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.