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Joanna-Woodson Elementary

Q: Is Joanna-Woodson Elementary a good school?

Joanna-Woodson Elementary ranks 483 rd of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

483^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 27% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Joanna-Woodson Elementary is a small, rural K-5 school in Joanna, SC, serving 293 students within the Laurens 56 school district, where 100% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch.

Joanna-Woodson has experienced a significant academic decline in the most recent school year. After reaching the 52nd percentile statewide in 2023-2024, the school dropped to the 27th percentile for 2025-2026. This decline is especially noticeable in 4th-grade math, where proficiency fell from 50% to just 22%—well below both the district (35.3%) and state (52.3%) averages. The contrast with Eastside Elementary, a same-district peer, is striking: Eastside improved from the 54th to the 73rd percentile over the same period, and its 3rd-grade ELA proficiency (76%) far exceeds Joanna-Woodson's (52.3%). This intra-district gap suggests school-specific factors—such as leadership or instructional practices—may be driving the difference, rather than district-wide challenges.

There are some positive signs to note. Joanna-Woodson has made significant progress in reducing chronic absenteeism, dropping from 23.1% to 14.5%—now well below both district and state averages. The school also shows relative strength in 5th grade, with ELA proficiency (60%) near the state average and math proficiency (46%) exceeding the district average. Additionally, the school maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.2 and spends $17,683 per student, the highest among nearby schools. However, this high level of investment has not translated into improved outcomes, raising questions about resource allocation. For parents, this is a school with clear challenges in the lower grades but some promising foundations in upper elementary that could be built upon.

293

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,683

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

510 South Ellis Street
Joanna, SC 29351

(864) 697-6480

District: Laurens 56

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.1%

African American:

21.2%

Hispanic:

8.9%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Joanna-Woodson Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 35th percentile in 2016 → 27th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (43% vs 58% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2016

!Mathematics scores 18 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school43%

District avg50%

South Carolina avg58%

483^rd of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 27%▼ down 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 35% (2016) to bottom 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Laurens 56

44^th of 75Laurens 56 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	27.0	483 of 661	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	41.0	366 of 639	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	310 of 643	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	40.1	387 of 644	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.4	408 of 625	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	41.6	369 of 622	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	21.7	513 of 643	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.5	412 of 624	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	30.2	457 of 639	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	36.2	403 of 619	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	27.0	509 of 638	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	35.1	449 of 630	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	28.2	486 of 599	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	42.7	385 of 594	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	51.3	332 of 597	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2010	47.1	335 of 589	43.1%	★★☆☆☆
2009	66.1	193 of 580	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.8	198 of 577	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	76.6	112 of 566	80.2%	★★★★☆
2006	73.3	132 of 559	76.4%	★★★★☆
2005	54.0	286 of 557	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2004	50.5	304 of 550	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2003	46.4	320 of 542	41.0%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2018	39.4	267 of 412	35.2%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.3	500 of 599	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	34.5	384 of 580	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	282 of 568	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.4	337 of 580	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.9	342 of 573	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.1	305 of 554	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.0	399 of 588	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	55.3	257 of 570	54.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.6	428 of 634	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.4	282 of 612	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.3	217 of 602	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	44.6	337 of 608	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.2	365 of 600	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.6	307 of 580	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.1	457 of 600	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.6	348 of 588	40.8%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	33.3	401 of 591	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.4	322 of 585	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.5	300 of 571	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	33.4	386 of 582	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	17.2	486 of 579	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	35.7	370 of 561	34.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	13.0	538 of 590	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	22.3	463 of 571	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.8	405 of 463	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	19.9	391 of 459	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	357 of 446	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	22.1	386 of 463	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	20.0	384 of 455	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.1	348 of 439	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	7.6	457 of 472	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	19.8	381 of 457	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

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 (2018)35th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)32nd percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)32nd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)17th percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)13th percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts50%-14 vs state

Science42%-9 vs state

Mathematics35%-18 vs state

★

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Schools Near Joanna-Woodson 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
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	100.0%	179 (61.1%)	62 (21.2%)	26 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.9%)	27	483^rd of 661 public elementary schools	26.9%		41	366^th of 639 public elementary schools	42.7%	117	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
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	100.0%	229 (49.6%)	156 (33.8%)	44 (9.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.7%)	72.3	175^th of 661 public elementary schools	73.5%		75.3	157^th of 639 public elementary schools	75.4%	18	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
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	100.0%	144 (34.1%)	203 (48.1%)	36 (8.5%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.8%)	19.4	539^th of 661 public elementary schools	18.5%		22.9	505^th of 639 public elementary schools	21.0%	34	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
Whitmire Community School (Elementary)	Public	PK, KG-5	2597 SC Highway 66	Whitmire	29178	Newberry County	Newberry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 694-2320	250	20	12.6	100.0%	186 (74.4%)	34 (13.6%)	8 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.8%)	44.7	359^th of 661 public elementary schools	45.7%		61.7	245^th of 639 public elementary schools	61.7%	114	57.8	61.5	60.0	52.6	38.5	42.2	58.9	$14,884	$1,305	$1,703	$3,007	$8,949	$2,927	$11,876
Reuben Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3605 Spearman Road	Newberry	29108	Newberry County	Newberry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 321-2664	150	9	16.3	100.0%	70 (46.7%)	43 (28.7%)	25 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.0%)	49.8	318^th of 661 public elementary schools	51.9%		64	230^th of 639 public elementary schools	64.0%	88	62.5	69.2		58.3	38.5		50.0	$15,807	$1,324	$1,395	$2,719	$10,637	$2,452	$13,089
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	100.0%	121 (28.6%)	93 (22.0%)	186 (44.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	13.6	600^th of 661 public elementary schools	9.2%		8.5	612^th of 639 public elementary schools	4.2%	12	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
Newberry Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1829 Nance Street	Newberry	29108	Newberry County	Newberry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 321-2670	421	37	11.3	100.0%	50 (11.9%)	214 (50.8%)	134 (31.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.5%)	18.6	552^nd of 661 public elementary schools	16.5%		9.4	604^th of 639 public elementary schools	5.5%	52	51.5	51.9	39.6	36.3	31.5	24.1	40.8	$14,333	$1,287	$1,529	$2,816	$8,945	$2,572	$11,517
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	100.0%	186 (73.2%)	39 (15.4%)	10 (3.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	63.7	233^rd of 661 public elementary schools	64.8%		66.5	214^th of 639 public elementary schools	66.5%	19	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
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	100.0%	164 (36.7%)	240 (53.7%)	28 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)	20.5	533^rd of 661 public elementary schools	19.4%		24.1	496^th of 639 public elementary schools	22.4%	37	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
Boundary St. Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1406 Boundary Street	Newberry	29108	Newberry County	Newberry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 321-2616	429	38	11.2	100.0%	88 (20.5%)	184 (42.9%)	129 (30.1%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	22	524^th of 661 public elementary schools	20.7%		20.1	530^th of 639 public elementary schools	17.1%	6	52.9	27.8	53.6	47.0	18.1	47.8	26.4	$15,068	$1,671	$901	$2,572	$10,739	$1,757	$12,496

Frequently Asked Questions about Joanna-Woodson Elementary

What district is Joanna-Woodson Elementary in?

Laurens 56

Is Joanna-Woodson Elementary a good school?

Joanna-Woodson Elementary ranks 483^rd of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Joanna-Woodson Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 293 students attended Joanna-Woodson Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Joanna-Woodson Elementary?

Students at Joanna-Woodson Elementary are 61% White, 21% African American, 9% Hispanic, 9% 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.