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Buford Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

49^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 93% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Buford Elementary is a PK-5 school in Lancaster, SC, serving 792 students in the Lancaster 01 district, and it has earned a 5-star rating by ranking 49th out of 649 elementary schools statewide—a remarkable climb from its 233rd-place finish a decade ago.

What truly sets Buford Elementary apart is its extraordinary success with students who face economic challenges. With roughly two-thirds of its students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school still ranks 8th out of 624 schools statewide for this subgroup—a feat it has maintained for three straight years. The school also ranks 2nd out of 154 schools for supporting disabled students, showing a deep commitment to inclusive education. Academically, math scores are stunning: 3rd graders hit 91.4% proficiency versus the state's 59.2%, and even the "weakest" grade level (5th grade math at 74.6%) beats the state average by 25.5 points. The school also excels with male students, ranking in the 95th percentile, which is notable since boys often lag in elementary settings. Compared to nearby schools, the gap is stark—Van Wyck Elementary is the closest competitor at 66th place, while Erwin Elementary ranks 600th and Clinton Elementary ranks 474th, all within the same district.

Buford Elementary achieves these results while spending just $12,139 per student—far less than lower-performing peers like McDonald Green Elementary ($17,243) or Heath Springs Elementary ($16,355)—and with larger class sizes. The main areas for attention are chronic absenteeism (21.9%, up from 13.7% a few years ago) and gifted programming, which lags behind other subgroups. Still, for parents seeking a school that delivers exceptional results regardless of background, Buford Elementary is a standout choice.

792

Students ?

16.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,139

Per pupil spending ?

66.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1906 North Rocky River Road
Lancaster, SC 29720

(803) 286-0026

District: Lancaster 01

Students who attend Buford Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	A. R. Rucker Middle
High:	Buford High

Racial breakdown:

White:

83.0%

African American:

5.8%

Hispanic:

5.7%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Buford Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 71st percentile in 2016 → 93rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (80% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 7% of South Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 22 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school80%

District avg69%

South Carolina avg58%

49^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 7%▲ up 21 pts since 2016

From top 29% (2016) to top 7% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 11Elementary Schools in the Lancaster 01

23^rd of 75Lancaster 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	90.0	49 of 661	92.6%	★★★★★
2025	85.1	85 of 639	86.7%	★★★★☆
2024	86.2	78 of 643	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	91.2	46 of 644	92.9%	★★★★★
2022	90.1	55 of 625	91.2%	★★★★★
2021	77.3	131 of 622	78.9%	★★★★☆
2019	84.3	88 of 643	86.3%	★★★★☆
2018	72.8	145 of 624	76.8%	★★★★☆
2017	61.4	233 of 639	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	68.0	177 of 619	71.4%	★★★★☆
2015	54.2	270 of 638	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	66.0	212 of 630	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2013	63.2	227 of 599	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	59.2	263 of 594	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	52.5	322 of 597	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2010	42.6	367 of 589	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	28.2	462 of 580	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	38.7	399 of 577	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	35.7	416 of 566	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	47.3	330 of 559	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	47.1	330 of 557	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2004	46.3	341 of 550	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2003	50.3	295 of 542	45.6%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	99.0	2 of 156	98.7%	★★★★★
2025	92.4	9 of 147	93.9%	★★★★★
2024	82.8	18 of 143	87.4%	★★★★☆
2023	82.0	26 of 174	85.1%	★★★★☆
2022	76.8	27 of 151	82.1%	★★★★☆
2021	71.8	25 of 122	79.5%	★★★★☆
2019	78.8	32 of 189	83.1%	★★★★☆
2018	68.3	33 of 161	79.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.9	68 of 599	88.6%	★★★★☆
2025	80.7	92 of 580	84.1%	★★★★☆
2024	79.7	102 of 568	82.0%	★★★★☆
2023	87.0	72 of 580	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	87.3	67 of 573	88.3%	★★★★☆
2021	70.1	153 of 554	72.4%	★★★★☆
2019	81.1	91 of 588	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	72.5	142 of 570	75.1%	★★★★☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	62.7	63 of 109	42.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	95.7	9 of 634	98.6%	★★★★★
2025	90.6	26 of 612	95.8%	★★★★★
2024	91.7	25 of 602	95.8%	★★★★★
2023	95.1	9 of 608	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	97.1	9 of 600	98.5%	★★★★★
2021	83.9	64 of 580	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	90.0	27 of 600	95.5%	★★★★★
2018	80.5	85 of 588	85.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.6	32 of 591	94.6%	★★★★★
2025	86.1	64 of 585	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	88.4	51 of 571	91.1%	★★★★★
2023	91.9	34 of 582	94.2%	★★★★★
2022	90.0	47 of 579	91.9%	★★★★★
2021	80.4	94 of 561	83.2%	★★★★☆
2019	83.6	78 of 590	86.8%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	146 of 571	74.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	78.9	75 of 463	83.8%	★★★★☆
2025	71.3	124 of 459	73.0%	★★★★☆
2024	69.6	131 of 446	70.6%	★★★★☆
2023	77.6	95 of 463	79.5%	★★★★☆
2022	73.5	108 of 455	76.3%	★★★★☆
2021	54.7	210 of 439	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.2	159 of 472	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.3	234 of 457	48.8%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Disabled (2026)99th percentile+6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)99th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)95th percentile~ school

Female (2026)89th percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)84th percentile-9 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2022)42nd percentile-49 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Mathematics85%+31 vs state

English Language Arts80%+15 vs state

Science67%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Buford 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Science 4th 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
Buford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1906 North Rocky River Road	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 286-0026	792	48	16.6	66.2%	657 (83.0%)	46 (5.8%)	45 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (5.3%)	90	49^th of 661 public elementary schools	92.6%		85.1	85^th of 639 public elementary schools	86.7%	36	84.5	78.1	76.8	91.4	88.3	74.6	67.1	$12,139	$574	$142	$715	$9,491	$1,933	$11,424
Cogito Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-5	133 South Potter Rd.	Lancaster	29721	Lancaster County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(803) 402-4700	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	21.3	528^th of 661 public elementary schools	20.1%					(n/a)	41.2	39.1	54.2	41.2	30.4	43.8	30.4
Clinton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	110 Clinton School Road	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 285-5395	412	34	12.0	100.0%	80 (19.4%)	238 (57.8%)	70 (17.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.8%)	27.2	481^st of 661 public elementary schools	27.2%		13.5	574^th of 639 public elementary schools	10.2%	93	50.0	45.8	39.2	64.0	39.6	27.4	41.7	$17,848	$2,085	$575	$2,660	$12,212	$2,976	$15,188
Discovery Charter of Lancaster	Public, Charter	K-5	302 West Dunlap Street	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 285-8430	146	10	15.0	73.1%	64 (43.8%)	47 (32.2%)	29 (19.9%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.4%)								(n/a)								$13,257	$221	$236	$458	$10,385	$2,415	$12,800
North Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 Roddey Drive	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 283-9918	645	43	15.0	100.0%	191 (29.6%)	278 (43.1%)	121 (18.8%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (7.6%)	43.4	372^nd of 661 public elementary schools	43.7%		38.5	391^st of 639 public elementary schools	38.8%	19	53.3	62.8	53.0	55.5	60.3	42.2	43.6	$13,468	$799	$247	$1,046	$10,513	$1,909	$12,422
Brooklyn Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1637 Billings Drive	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 283-8471	398	30	13.3	100.0%	93 (23.4%)	178 (44.7%)	107 (26.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.8%)	19.4	542^nd of 661 public elementary schools	18.0%		11.6	585^th of 639 public elementary schools	8.5%	43	51.7	48.1	45.7	43.1	27.0	35.1	28.9	$16,109	$1,541	$294	$1,835	$11,982	$2,292	$14,274
McDonald Green Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2763 Lynwood Drive	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 285-7416	337	25	13.4	100.0%	135 (40.1%)	125 (37.1%)	51 (15.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.4%)	42.4	382^nd of 661 public elementary schools	42.2%		49.1	313^th of 639 public elementary schools	51.0%	69	45.1	50.8	62.1	54.9	52.4	59.1	36.5	$17,243	$1,194	$260	$1,454	$13,142	$2,648	$15,789
Erwin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1477 Locustwood Avenue	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 285-8484	418	32	13.1	100.0%	130 (31.1%)	165 (39.5%)	88 (21.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (8.1%)	11.8	612^th of 661 public elementary schools	7.4%		13.7	570^th of 639 public elementary schools	10.8%	42	52.6	26.5	41.5	47.4	16.2	20.0	22.1	$16,705	$1,417	$656	$2,072	$12,178	$2,455	$14,633
Heath Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	158 Solar Road	Heath Springs	29058	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 273-3176	297	23	13.2	76.6%	191 (64.3%)	67 (22.6%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.8%)	53.2	290^th of 661 public elementary schools	56.1%		36.8	401^st of 639 public elementary schools	37.2%	111	62.2	61.9	50.1	73.3	59.6	41.6	54.8	$16,355	$732	$398	$1,130	$12,722	$2,503	$15,224
Van Wyck Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	4945 Charlotte Highway	Lancaster	29720	Lancaster County	Lancaster 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 313-6650	820	55	14.9	28.3%	488 (59.5%)	102 (12.4%)	126 (15.4%)	45 (5.5%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.7%)	88.2	66^th of 661 public elementary schools	90.0%		85.8	79^th of 639 public elementary schools	87.6%	13	87.9	79.2		88.0	72.3		63.5	$12,373	$279	$234	$513	$10,141	$1,719	$11,859

Frequently Asked Questions about Buford Elementary

What district is Buford Elementary in?

Lancaster 01

What schools do graduates of Buford Elementary attend?

Students who attend Buford Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : A. R. Rucker Middle
High : Buford High

How many students attend Buford Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 792 students attended Buford Elementary.

Is Buford Elementary a good school?

Yes. Buford Elementary ranks in the top 7.4% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Buford Elementary?

Students at Buford Elementary are 83% White, 6% African American, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

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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.