Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Joanna-Woodson Elementary

Q: Is Joanna-Woodson Elementary a good school?

Joanna-Woodson Elementary ranks 367 th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

367^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 43% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Joanna Woodson Elementary is a public elementary school serving around 300 students in grades K-5 in Joanna, South Carolina. The school is part of the Laurens 56 school district, which is ranked 38 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Joanna Woodson Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of South Carolina elementary schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics that are 5-20 percentage points lower than the Laurens 56 district and the state as a whole. Compared to nearby schools like Eastside Elementary and Waterloo Elementary, Joanna Woodson lags behind in core subject areas. The school also faces challenges with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.5% to 31.2% over the past few years.

Despite the school's higher per-student spending of $16,674 in 2023-2024, which is above the state and district averages, the academic performance remains below par. This suggests that the resources may not be effectively utilized or targeted to address the specific needs of the students, many of whom come from low-income backgrounds. Addressing the underlying issues, such as attendance and engagement, will be crucial for Joanna Woodson Elementary to improve student outcomes and close the achievement gaps.

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: Improving — 20th percentile in 2015 → 43rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 23 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (50% vs 56% meeting standards)

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg53%

South Carolina avg56%

367^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 43%▲ up 22 pts since 2015

From bottom 20% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 3Elementary Schools in the Laurens 56

38^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
2025	41.0	367 of 640	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	308 of 638	51.7%	★★★☆☆
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
2025	34.5	385 of 581	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	282 of 565	50.1%	★★★☆☆
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
2025	52.4	283 of 613	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	62.3	216 of 599	63.9%	★★★☆☆
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
2025	45.4	322 of 586	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.5	298 of 568	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
2025	19.9	392 of 460	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	355 of 441	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
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)

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)54th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)45th percentile~ school

African American (2018)35th percentile~ school

Female (2025)34th percentile-9 vs school

White (2025)15th percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts53%-9 vs state

Science49%~ state avg

Mathematics47%-6 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Joanna-Woodson Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Joanna-Woodson Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Joanna-Woodson 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 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		179 (61.1%)	62 (21.2%)	26 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.9%)	41	367^th of 640 public elementary schools	42.7%		50.7	308^th of 638 public elementary schools	51.7%	59	51.7	62.0	45.4	41.4	49.0	52.2	49.0	$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		229 (49.6%)	156 (33.8%)	44 (9.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (6.7%)	75.3	157^th of 640 public elementary schools	75.5%		54.1	291^st of 638 public elementary schools	54.4%	134	78.2	75.8	62.0	78.2	66.1	45.0	64.5	$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		144 (34.1%)	203 (48.1%)	36 (8.5%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.8%)	22.9	506^th of 640 public elementary schools	20.9%		50.8	307^th of 638 public elementary schools	51.9%	199	42.4	55.2	46.0	24.6	40.3	24.0	43.3	$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		186 (74.4%)	34 (13.6%)	8 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.8%)	61.7	245^th of 640 public elementary schools	61.7%		67.2	204^th of 638 public elementary schools	68.0%	41	56.9	60.9	75.7	56.8	65.3	51.3	52.2	$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		70 (46.7%)	43 (28.7%)	25 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (8.0%)	64	230^th of 640 public elementary schools	64.1%					(n/a)	72.0		59.0	56.0		59.1		$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		121 (28.6%)	93 (22.0%)	186 (44.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	8.5	613^th of 640 public elementary schools	4.2%		9.8	604^th of 638 public elementary schools	5.3%	9	29.9	29.5	41.5	28.4	34.1	18.9	22.7	$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		50 (11.9%)	214 (50.8%)	134 (31.8%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.5%)	9.4	605^th of 640 public elementary schools	5.5%		11.2	586^th of 638 public elementary schools	8.2%	19	41.5	42.8	27.5	34.0	17.8	17.3	28.5	$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		186 (73.2%)	39 (15.4%)	10 (3.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.7%)	66.5	214^th of 640 public elementary schools	66.6%		59.8	253^rd of 638 public elementary schools	60.3%	39	88.6	80.6	41.7	88.6	67.8	20.8	45.2	$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		164 (36.7%)	240 (53.7%)	28 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)	24.1	497^th of 640 public elementary schools	22.3%		16.9	542^nd of 638 public elementary schools	15.0%	45	52.8	44.1	52.9	44.4	33.9	35.8	20.4	$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		88 (20.5%)	184 (42.9%)	129 (30.1%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.4%)	20.1	531^st of 640 public elementary schools	17.0%		27.3	462^nd of 638 public elementary schools	27.6%	69	36.8	48.0	43.9	29.4	37.4	29.9	42.7	$15,068	$1,671	$901	$2,572	$10,739	$1,757	$12,496

Frequently Asked Questions about Joanna-Woodson Elementary

Is Joanna-Woodson Elementary a good school?

Joanna-Woodson Elementary ranks 367^th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Joanna-Woodson Elementary in?

Laurens 56

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.

How many students attend Joanna-Woodson Elementary?

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

Rate Joanna-Woodson Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SCSouth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

SCSouth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Joanna, SC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Joanna-Woodson Elementary!

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.