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Palmetto Bays Elementary

Q: Is Palmetto Bays Elementary a good school?

Palmetto Bays Elementary ranks 267 th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

267^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 58% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Palmetto Bays Elementary is a public elementary school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, serving 569 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Horry 01 school district, which is ranked 9 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Palmetto Bays Elementary has consistently performed below the Horry 01 district and South Carolina state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency, the school's performance varies across different student subgroups. The school's African American students have performed relatively well compared to their peers statewide, while White students and students with disabilities have lagged behind. Additionally, Palmetto Bays Elementary has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 16.5% to 24.7% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools in the Horry 01 district, such as Lakewood Elementary, South Conway Elementary, and Forestbrook Elementary, Palmetto Bays Elementary's performance is generally lower, with higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates at these other schools. The school's relatively high per-student spending of $13,695 in 2023-2024 and its high concentration of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds may contribute to the challenges it faces in improving academic outcomes.

556

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,549

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8900 Highway 544
Myrtle Beach, SC 29588

(843) 236-6200

District: Horry 01

Students who attend Palmetto Bays Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Black Water Middle
High:	Carolina Forest High

Racial breakdown:

White:

42.6%

Hispanic:

34.0%

African American:

12.2%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Palmetto Bays Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 56th percentile in 2015 → 58th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the South Carolina median (58th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Horry 01's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school58%

District avg63%

South Carolina avg56%

267^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 42%▲ up 2 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

21^st 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
2025	57.6	267 of 640	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.4	225 of 638	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.8	213 of 644	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.7	230 of 625	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.9	241 of 622	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.6	179 of 643	72.2%	★★★★☆
2018	69.1	170 of 624	72.8%	★★★★☆
2017	63.8	213 of 639	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.5	259 of 619	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2015	52.8	281 of 638	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	67.9	190 of 630	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	78.5	101 of 599	83.1%	★★★★☆
2012	73.4	138 of 594	76.8%	★★★★☆
2011	69.7	174 of 597	70.9%	★★★★☆
2010	64.5	202 of 589	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2009	63.0	218 of 580	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	60.6	239 of 577	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	60.4	234 of 566	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2006	65.8	191 of 559	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	75.8	108 of 557	80.6%	★★★★☆
2004	82.0	69 of 550	87.5%	★★★★☆
2003	75.9	117 of 542	78.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	79.8	50 of 394	87.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	32.6	86 of 122	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.1	98 of 189	48.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	51.8	45 of 104	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.2	21 of 79	73.4%	★★★★☆
2022	66.7	24 of 84	71.4%	★★★★☆
2021	67.4	29 of 84	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.8	20 of 104	80.8%	★★★★☆
2018	66.5	23 of 82	72.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	55.0	259 of 581	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.4	224 of 565	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	206 of 580	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.6	237 of 573	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.4	254 of 554	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	72.4	152 of 588	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	71.5	146 of 570	74.4%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	52.8	72 of 156	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	67.8	29 of 115	74.8%	★★★★☆
2023	84.4	15 of 115	87.0%	★★★★☆
2022	75.9	24 of 115	79.1%	★★★★☆
2021	73.5	18 of 86	79.1%	★★★★☆
2019	80.8	18 of 116	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	69.9	29 of 104	72.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.6	152 of 613	75.2%	★★★★☆
2024	79.2	92 of 599	84.6%	★★★★☆
2023	82.8	73 of 608	88.0%	★★★★☆
2022	79.4	99 of 600	83.5%	★★★★☆
2021	79.1	98 of 580	83.1%	★★★★☆
2019	80.3	79 of 600	86.8%	★★★★☆
2018	80.8	80 of 588	86.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	56.8	250 of 586	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.9	207 of 568	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.6	201 of 582	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.9	221 of 579	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.2	198 of 561	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.9	199 of 590	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.4	198 of 571	65.3%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	47.5	260 of 460	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	61.4	181 of 441	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.2	240 of 463	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.2	242 of 455	46.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.5	250 of 439	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.2	183 of 472	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.4	168 of 457	63.2%	★★★☆☆

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 (2023)87th percentile+20 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)75th percentile+17 vs school

Male (2025)57th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2025)57th percentile~ school

Female (2025)55th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)54th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)43rd percentile-15 vs school

Disabled (2021)30th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts64%~ state avg

Mathematics54%~ state avg

Science50%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Palmetto Bays Elementary

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 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
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		237 (42.6%)	68 (12.2%)	189 (34.0%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (9.7%)	57.6	267^th of 640 public elementary schools	58.3%		63.4	225^th of 638 public elementary schools	64.7%	42	53.3	58.5	78.9			57.2	50.0	54.4				50.0		$15,549	$2,127	$712	$2,839	$10,989	$1,721	$12,710
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		563 (60.5%)	72 (7.7%)	199 (21.4%)	10 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (8.9%)	79.4	120^th of 640 public elementary schools	81.3%		82.9	99^th of 638 public elementary schools	84.5%	21	71.6	74.6	73.0			69.9	65.4	61.4				62.7		$13,757	$1,413	$550	$1,963	$10,113	$1,681	$11,794
Socastee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4223 Socastee Boulevard	Myrtle Beach	29588	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 650-2606	850	60	14.1		275 (32.4%)	101 (11.9%)	406 (47.8%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	11 (1.3%)	50 (5.9%)	59.4	256^th of 640 public elementary schools	60.0%		55.4	282^nd of 638 public elementary schools	55.8%	26	56.8	62.7	61.5			64.9	56.8	58.5				48.5		$14,216	$1,759	$629	$2,388	$10,258	$1,570	$11,828
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		739 (55.3%)	181 (13.5%)	219 (16.4%)	43 (3.2%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	151 (11.3%)	79.3	122^nd of 640 public elementary schools	80.9%		81.7	103^rd of 638 public elementary schools	83.9%	19	72.4	75.3	75.9			66.4	61.6	71.4				58.2		$12,960	$1,239	$603	$1,842	$9,401	$1,717	$11,118
Palmetto Academy of Learning and Success Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	3021 Fred Nash Boulevard	Myrtle Beach	29577	Horry County	Horry 01	Yes	No	No	No	(843) 293-1725	320	22	14.5		258 (80.6%)	10 (3.1%)	27 (8.4%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.9%)	91	43^rd of 640 public elementary schools	93.3%		88.3	65^th of 638 public elementary schools	89.8%	22	91.6		80.5	82.9	97.2	88.9	85.3	52.8	54.3	48.5	53.2	91.2	74.3	$10,311	$775	$2,067	$2,841	$7,118	$352	$7,470
Bridgewater Academy Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	191 River Landing Boulevard	Myrtle Beach	29579	Horry County	Horry 01	Yes	No	No	Yes	(843) 236-3689	125	18	6.9		51 (40.8%)	49 (39.2%)	16 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.2%)								(n/a)														$19,311	$2,752	$488	$3,239	$10,439	$5,633	$16,072
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		518 (49.5%)	185 (17.7%)	240 (22.9%)	7 (0.7%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	92 (8.8%)	55.2	274^th of 640 public elementary schools	57.2%		54.4	287^th of 638 public elementary schools	55.0%	13	68.5	65.4	60.5			64.8	49.4	36.4				49.1		$13,533	$1,602	$620	$2,223	$9,834	$1,476	$11,311
Burgess Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	9645 Scipio Lane	Myrtle Beach	29588	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 650-4600	697	44	15.8		407 (58.4%)	53 (7.6%)	149 (21.4%)	20 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	67 (9.6%)	64.4	228^th of 640 public elementary schools	64.4%		80.2	120^th of 638 public elementary schools	81.2%	108	67.5	68.6				56.0	59.9					52.5		$13,554	$972	$492	$1,464	$10,531	$1,559	$12,090
Lakewood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1675 Highway 396	Myrtle Beach	29575	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	No	(843) 650-6768	866	61	14.3		536 (61.9%)	73 (8.4%)	135 (15.6%)	10 (1.2%)	5 (0.6%)	7 (0.8%)	100 (11.5%)	77.2	139^th of 640 public elementary schools	78.3%		77.5	141^st of 638 public elementary schools	77.9%	2	67.5	71.5	71.4			63.0	65.1	67.1				66.6		$14,028	$1,225	$551	$1,776	$10,759	$1,493	$12,252
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		329 (51.2%)	167 (26.0%)	78 (12.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (10.4%)	73.8	170^th of 640 public elementary schools	73.4%		69.5	185^th of 638 public elementary schools	71.0%	15	69.2	78.2	66.4			60.7	61.9	60.6				60.9		$16,393	$1,953	$837	$2,790	$11,909	$1,695	$13,603

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmetto Bays Elementary

Is Palmetto Bays Elementary a good school?

Palmetto Bays Elementary ranks 267^th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Palmetto Bays Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 556 students attended Palmetto Bays Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Palmetto Bays Elementary attend?

Students who attend Palmetto Bays Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Black Water Middle
High : Carolina Forest High

What district is Palmetto Bays Elementary in?

Horry 01

What is the racial makeup of Palmetto Bays Elementary?

Students at Palmetto Bays Elementary are 43% White, 34% Hispanic, 12% African American, 10% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

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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.