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Palmetto Bays Elementary

Q: Is Palmetto Bays Elementary a good school?

Palmetto Bays Elementary ranks 338 th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

338^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 48% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Palmetto Bays Elementary is a PK-5 school in Myrtle Beach, SC, serving 556 students within the Horry 01 district, where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.

Palmetto Bays has experienced a significant decline in academic performance over the past two years, dropping from a 3-star rating to a 2-star rating in the 2025-2026 school year—its lowest ranking in a decade. The school now ranks 338th out of 649 schools in the state (48th percentile), while nearby schools have maintained or improved their standings. For example, Forestbrook Elementary, just 2 miles away, ranks in the 82nd percentile with a 4-star rating, and River Oaks Elementary holds a 5-star rating in the 92nd percentile. The academic gaps are most pronounced in 4th grade, where Palmetto Bays trails the district by 16 percentage points in English Language Arts and nearly 14 points in math. The school's Hispanic students and female students have seen the steepest declines, each falling by roughly 25 percentile points over two years.

Despite these challenges, there are encouraging signs. Chronic absenteeism at Palmetto Bays (14.3%) is notably lower than both the district (19.4%) and state (22.3%) averages, suggesting strong student engagement. The school also has a history of effectively supporting low-income students, having earned a 4-star rating for this subgroup as recently as 2023-2024. Per-student spending has increased to $15,549, though this remains below some comparable schools like South Conway Elementary, which spends $844 more per student and outperforms Palmetto Bays. The proximity of higher-performing schools within the same district demonstrates that improvement is achievable, and the key will be identifying which instructional strategies are working at those peer schools and adapting them to Palmetto Bays' specific needs.

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: Declining — 58th percentile in 2016 → 48th in 2026

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 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 school54%

District avg63%

South Carolina avg58%

338^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From top 42% (2016) to bottom 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

23^rd 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	46.2	338 of 649	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	49.4	49 of 103	52.4%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	36.2	379 of 589	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	39.6	100 of 155	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
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
2026	59.7	242 of 624	61.2%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	52.7	266 of 583	54.4%	★★★☆☆
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
2026	45.6	263 of 454	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
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 (2026)61st percentile+13 vs school

Male (2026)54th percentile+6 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)52nd percentile+5 vs school

White (2026)42nd percentile-6 vs school

Female (2026)36th percentile-12 vs school

Hispanic (2026)35th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2021)30th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts58%-6 vs state

Science53%~ state avg

Mathematics50%-4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Palmetto Bays 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)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (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	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	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	100.0%	237 (42.6%)	68 (12.2%)	189 (34.0%)	7 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (9.7%)	46.2	338^th of 649 public elementary schools	47.9%		57.6	267^th of 640 public elementary schools	58.3%	71	61.8	54.4	58.8				58.4	43.2	46.3				53.1			$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	49.6%	563 (60.5%)	72 (7.7%)	199 (21.4%)	10 (1.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	83 (8.9%)	80.7	118^th of 649 public elementary schools	81.8%		79.4	120^th of 640 public elementary schools	81.3%	2	75.8	77.4	77.0				73.5	63.9	63.0				62.0			$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	100.0%	275 (32.4%)	101 (11.9%)	406 (47.8%)	3 (0.4%)	4 (0.5%)	11 (1.3%)	50 (5.9%)	68.8	197^th of 649 public elementary schools	69.6%		59.4	256^th of 640 public elementary schools	60.0%	59	61.1	71.8	67.2				60.2	69.5	53.2				67.3			$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	53.1%	739 (55.3%)	181 (13.5%)	219 (16.4%)	43 (3.2%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	151 (11.3%)	74.2	164^th of 649 public elementary schools	74.7%		79.3	122^nd of 640 public elementary schools	80.9%	42	77.0	71.3	72.3				74.3	57.0	54.6				60.7			$12,960	$1,239	$603	$1,842	$9,401	$1,717	$11,118
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 ()								(n/a)
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	6.2%	258 (80.6%)	10 (3.1%)	27 (8.4%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.9%)	85.6	81^st of 649 public elementary schools	87.5%		91	43^rd of 640 public elementary schools	93.3%	38	88.8	94.3	91.0	75.0	83.4	86.7	83.4	82.9	54.6	44.5	55.5	46.7	57.1	69.5	86.7	$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	26.6%	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	100.0%	518 (49.5%)	185 (17.7%)	240 (22.9%)	7 (0.7%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	92 (8.8%)	51.8	296^th of 649 public elementary schools	54.4%		55.2	274^th of 640 public elementary schools	57.2%	22	68.9	66.0	56.1				63.7	47.9	38.6				52.1			$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	56.7%	407 (58.4%)	53 (7.6%)	149 (21.4%)	20 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	67 (9.6%)	70.8	185^th of 649 public elementary schools	71.5%		64.4	228^th of 640 public elementary schools	64.4%	43	75.4	71.4					66.4	56.3					58.6			$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	55.9%	536 (61.9%)	73 (8.4%)	135 (15.6%)	10 (1.2%)	5 (0.6%)	7 (0.8%)	100 (11.5%)	74.3	163^rd of 649 public elementary schools	74.9%		77.2	139^th of 640 public elementary schools	78.3%	24	77.8	72.9	70.1				65.1	58.3	59.1				64.6			$14,028	$1,225	$551	$1,776	$10,759	$1,493	$12,252

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmetto Bays Elementary

How many students attend Palmetto Bays Elementary?

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

What district is Palmetto Bays Elementary in?

Horry 01

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 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.

Is Palmetto Bays Elementary a good school?

Palmetto Bays Elementary ranks 338^th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate Palmetto Bays 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.