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E. B. Morse Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

523^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 19% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

E. B. Morse Elementary is a PK-5 school in Laurens, SC, serving 447 students within the Laurens 55 district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most encouraging news is a dramatic drop in chronic absenteeism, falling from 23.2% to 12.9% in a single year—now well below both the district (17.7%) and state (22.3%) averages. Academically, the school showed notable gains, especially in 5th grade English Language Arts, which jumped 15.2 points to 52.9% proficiency. However, challenges remain. Science proficiency is a critical weakness at just 26.8%, nearly 25 points below the state average. There's also a concerning pattern where 3rd graders significantly outperform 5th graders (a 20-point gap in ELA), suggesting students may lose ground as they advance. The school is more effective with female students than male students, and while it outperforms nearby Ford Elementary in most subjects, it lags far behind Waterloo Elementary, just 8.5 miles away, where 4th grade math proficiency is 83.9% compared to Morse's 32.4%.

With a favorable 12:1 student-teacher ratio and per-student spending of $15,009—higher than the high-performing Eastside Elementary in the neighboring Laurens 56 district—resources alone don't explain the achievement gap. The school's success in reducing absenteeism and the impressive 5th grade ELA improvement suggest targeted interventions can work. Parents should ask about plans to replicate those strategies across other grades and subjects, particularly science and upper elementary instruction.

447

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,009

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

200 Parkview Drive
Laurens, SC 29360

(864) 984-7777

District: Laurens 55

Students who attend E. B. Morse Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sanders Middle
High:	Laurens District 55 High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

53.7%

White:

36.7%

Hispanic:

6.3%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare E. B. Morse Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 25th percentile in 2016 → 19th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (40% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (19th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school40%

District avg46%

South Carolina avg58%

523^rd of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 19%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From bottom 25% (2016) to bottom 19% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 6Elementary Schools in the Laurens 55

60^th of 75Laurens 55 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	20.4	523 of 649	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	24.1	497 of 640	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.9	542 of 638	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.4	511 of 644	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.2	491 of 625	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.5	544 of 622	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	12.6	580 of 643	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.1	505 of 624	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	24.3	498 of 639	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	29.4	462 of 619	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	42.7	367 of 638	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	44.5	384 of 630	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2013	37.8	404 of 599	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	25.4	499 of 594	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	33.3	446 of 597	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	40.1	390 of 589	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2009	48.1	326 of 580	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2008	34.4	427 of 577	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	51.1	304 of 566	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	51.6	306 of 559	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2005	60.5	236 of 557	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2004	57.7	247 of 550	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2003	39.6	362 of 542	33.2%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	30.5	289 of 379	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.7	294 of 381	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.3	314 of 369	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.5	280 of 394	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	350 of 393	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.7	347 of 350	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.4	417 of 421	1.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.1	405 of 412	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	24.2	472 of 589	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.0	389 of 581	33.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.2	456 of 565	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.7	491 of 580	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.9	485 of 573	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	501 of 554	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.4	537 of 588	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.5	479 of 570	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	25.0	490 of 624	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	28.2	464 of 613	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	525 of 599	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.2	491 of 608	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.1	502 of 600	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.8	537 of 580	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.8	570 of 600	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.1	522 of 588	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.4	512 of 583	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	16.7	505 of 586	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	13.9	500 of 568	12.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.7	449 of 582	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.8	428 of 579	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.9	492 of 561	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.0	526 of 590	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.6	459 of 571	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.9	407 of 454	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	15.2	400 of 441	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.7	408 of 463	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.6	380 of 455	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.4	413 of 439	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.1	445 of 472	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	21.9	372 of 457	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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)24th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)21st percentile~ school

Female (2026)20th percentile~ school

Male (2026)12th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)10th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts47%-18 vs state

Mathematics38%-15 vs state

Science27%-25 vs state

★

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Schools Near E. B. Morse 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	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
E. B. Morse Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Parkview Drive	Laurens	29360	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 984-7777	447	37	12.0		164 (36.7%)	240 (53.7%)	28 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)	20.4	523^rd of 649 public elementary schools	19.4%		24.1	497^th of 640 public elementary schools	22.3%	26	58.0	43.7	37.7				43.6	32.4	39.6				26.8		$15,009	$1,351	$459	$1,810	$10,385	$2,814	$13,199
Laurens Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Henry Street	Laurens	29360	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 984-3067	465	45	10.3		212 (45.6%)	183 (39.4%)	53 (11.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.2%)	20.3	524^th of 649 public elementary schools	19.3%		17.1	548^th of 640 public elementary schools	14.4%	24	50.0	53.5	54.4				34.4	36.7	26.5				23.9		$15,289	$1,603	$453	$2,056	$10,543	$2,690	$13,233
Ford Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	601 Lucas Avenue	Laurens	29360	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 984-3986	423	42	10.0		121 (28.6%)	93 (22.0%)	186 (44.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	13.6	589^th of 649 public elementary schools	9.2%		8.5	613^th of 640 public elementary schools	4.2%	24	42.2	40.0	43.4				35.9	28.4	39.1				25.0		$15,791	$1,436	$456	$1,893	$11,084	$2,813	$13,898
Waterloo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	10457 Highway 221 South	Waterloo	29384	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 677-5610	254	30	8.5		186 (73.2%)	39 (15.4%)	10 (3.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	63.8	227^th of 649 public elementary schools	65.0%		66.5	214^th of 640 public elementary schools	66.6%	13	53.8	87.1	78.3				51.9	83.9	65.2				58.1		$17,444	$1,448	$595	$2,043	$12,332	$3,069	$15,401
Hickory Tavern Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	163 Neely Ferry Road	Gray Court	29645	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 575-2126	623	51	12.2		530 (85.1%)	43 (6.9%)	38 (6.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.8%)	49.7	315^th of 649 public elementary schools	51.5%		40.7	371^st of 640 public elementary schools	42.0%	56	60.0	65.1	52.1	48.5	51.5	49.3	49.1	53.9	37.7	40.6	42.5	30.8	66.7	57.8	$14,926	$1,280	$454	$1,734	$10,682	$2,510	$13,192
Clinton Elementary	Public	K-5	800 Chestnut Street	Clinton	29325	Laurens County	Laurens 56	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 833-0812	422	29	14.5		144 (34.1%)	203 (48.1%)	36 (8.5%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.8%)	19.4	529^th of 649 public elementary schools	18.5%		22.9	506^th of 640 public elementary schools	20.9%	23	41.3	41.2	52.3				50.6	20.6	36.9				30.9		$14,827	$1,825	$1,639	$3,464	$9,867	$1,497	$11,363
Gray Court-Owings Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	9210 Highway 14	Gray Court	29645	Laurens County	Laurens 55	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 876-2131	715	68	10.5		379 (53.0%)	117 (16.4%)	176 (24.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	8 (1.1%)	33 (4.6%)	30.5	449^th of 649 public elementary schools	30.8%		16.6	554^th of 640 public elementary schools	13.4%	105	58.7	48.0	38.9	37.5	49.3	44.1	62.7	44.0	31.9	23.4	19.7	30.8	46.6	37.5	$14,778	$1,293	$429	$1,722	$10,446	$2,609	$13,055
Eastside Elementary	Public	K-5	103 Old Colony Road	Clinton	29325	Laurens County	Laurens 56	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 833-0827	462	31	14.9		229 (49.6%)	156 (33.8%)	44 (9.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.7%)	72.5	173^rd of 649 public elementary schools	73.3%		75.3	157^th of 640 public elementary schools	75.5%	16	76.0	74.3	71.9				64.0	59.5	54.4				59.5		$14,193	$1,965	$1,611	$3,576	$9,277	$1,340	$10,617
Ware Shoals Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	15269 Indian Mound Road	Ware Shoals	29692	Greenwood County	Greenwood 51	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 861-2261	385	29	13.2		276 (71.7%)	54 (14.0%)	22 (5.7%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.5%)	35.7	419^th of 649 public elementary schools	35.4%		33.8	429^th of 640 public elementary schools	33.0%	10	57.7	61.9					40.9	44.4					42.9
Joanna-Woodson Elementary	Public	K-5	510 South Ellis Street	Joanna	29351	Laurens County	Laurens 56	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 697-6480	293	26	11.2		179 (61.1%)	62 (21.2%)	26 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.9%)	27	476^th of 649 public elementary schools	26.7%		41	367^th of 640 public elementary schools	42.7%	109	52.3	40.7	60.0				40.9	22.0	46.0				42.4		$17,683	$2,377	$1,875	$4,252	$11,395	$2,035	$13,431

Frequently Asked Questions about E. B. Morse Elementary

What district is E. B. Morse Elementary in?

Laurens 55

What is the racial makeup of E. B. Morse Elementary?

Students at E. B. Morse Elementary are 54% African American, 37% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

How many students attend E. B. Morse Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 447 students attended E. B. Morse Elementary.

Is E. B. Morse Elementary a good school?

E. B. Morse Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.4% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of E. B. Morse Elementary attend?

Students who attend E. B. Morse Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sanders Middle
High : Laurens District 55 High

Rate E. B. Morse 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.