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Reuben Elementary

Q: Is Reuben Elementary a good school?

Reuben Elementary ranks 313 th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

313^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Reuben Elementary is a small, tight-knit school in Newberry, SC, serving 150 students in grades PK-5 and part of the Newberry 01 district. It is the smallest elementary school in the district, and every single student qualifies for free or reduced lunch, reflecting a high-poverty community.

The most impressive story here is the school's remarkable turnaround. After struggling in the late 2010s, Reuben Elementary has climbed to the 52nd percentile statewide, with a standout performance in English Language Arts. In 2025-2026, 4th grade ELA proficiency hit 69.2%—beating the district average by nearly 16 points and even edging out Pomaria-Garmany Elementary, the district's top performer, in that subject. Even more striking, the school ranks in the 80th percentile statewide for how well it serves students from low-income backgrounds, a testament to the effectiveness of its support systems. The school also made a dramatic dent in chronic absenteeism, cutting it from 23% to 13.9% in a single year—now well below the district and state averages, and better than most nearby schools like Newberry Elementary (23%) and Whitmire Community School (21.8%).

While reading and writing are clear strengths, math performance is more of a mixed bag, varying by grade and year. For example, 3rd grade math in 2025-2026 was solid at 58.3%, but 4th grade math dipped to 38.5%, right at the district average. The school spends generously—$15,807 per student, second-highest in the district—which likely reflects the higher per-pupil costs of running a small school. Despite larger class sizes than its peers, Reuben Elementary's consistent success with its most vulnerable students and its strong upward trajectory make it a school on the rise, one that other schools in the district could learn from.

150

Students ?

16.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,807

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3605 Spearman Road
Newberry, SC 29108

(803) 321-2664

District: Newberry 01

Students who attend Reuben Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Newberry Middle
High:	Newberry High

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.7%

African American:

28.7%

Hispanic:

16.7%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Reuben Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 75th percentile in 2014 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the South Carolina median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2014

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school56%

District avg50%

South Carolina avg59%

313^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▲ up 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 41% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 8Elementary Schools in the Newberry 01

38^th of 75Newberry 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	49.9	313 of 649	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	64.0	230 of 640	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	50.1	312 of 644	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.2	312 of 625	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.1	430 of 643	33.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.4	446 of 624	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	39.0	387 of 639	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	42.4	363 of 619	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	40.8	384 of 638	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	72.2	156 of 630	75.2%	★★★★☆
2013	62.9	231 of 599	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	71.2	155 of 594	73.9%	★★★★☆
2011	59.3	256 of 597	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	55.2	284 of 589	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	48.4	323 of 580	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	47.6	343 of 577	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2007	43.2	369 of 566	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2006	46.5	335 of 559	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2005	60.0	243 of 557	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2004	52.7	289 of 550	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2003	51.2	292 of 542	46.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	61.4	219 of 624	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	75.1	124 of 613	79.8%	★★★★☆
2019	47.6	330 of 600	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.3	350 of 588	40.5%	★★☆☆☆

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 (2026)65th percentile+13 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts66%~ state avg

Science50%~ state avg

Mathematics48%-8 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, December 18, 2014

Reuben is a great small school. Teachers and staff members get to know the students personally and give them the individual attention they need. All of the students get along very well together. My child loves attending Reuben! Close Quote

Schools Near Reuben 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 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
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%)	49.9	313^th of 649 public elementary schools	51.8%		64	230^th of 640 public elementary schools	64.1%	83	62.5	69.2		58.3	38.5		50.0	$15,807	$1,324	$1,395	$2,719	$10,637	$2,452	$13,089
Gallman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	255 Hawkins Road	Newberry	29108	Newberry County	Newberry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 321-2655	408	38	10.7		76 (18.6%)	208 (51.0%)	99 (24.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.9%)	19.9	527^th of 649 public elementary schools	18.8%		41.4	363^rd of 640 public elementary schools	43.3%	164	44.5	45.5	43.4	44.4	34.8	36.7	34.9	$14,808	$1,795	$1,080	$2,876	$10,181	$1,752	$11,933
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%)	18.7	543^rd of 649 public elementary schools	16.3%		9.4	605^th of 640 public elementary schools	5.5%	62	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
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%)	22	516^th of 649 public elementary schools	20.5%		20.1	531^st of 640 public elementary schools	17.0%	15	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
Hollywood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1261 Hollywood Road	Saluda	29138	Saluda County	Saluda 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 445-8333	403	29	13.8		247 (61.3%)	44 (10.9%)	103 (25.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	55.7	268^th of 649 public elementary schools	58.7%		62.6	238^th of 640 public elementary schools	62.8%	30	56.2	71.0	64.7	43.9	63.7	39.7	65.2	$13,545	$1,631	$993	$2,624	$9,895	$1,026	$10,921
Prosperity-Rikard Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	381 South Wheeler Avenue	Prosperity	29127	Newberry County	Newberry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 364-2321	386	27	14.2		207 (53.6%)	111 (28.8%)	46 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.7%)	38.8	401^st of 649 public elementary schools	38.2%		41	368^th of 640 public elementary schools	42.5%	33	47.7	64.2	50.9	35.3	48.6	36.4	62.9	$14,390	$1,443	$1,061	$2,504	$9,578	$2,308	$11,886
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
Saluda Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	200 Matthews Drive	Saluda	29138	Saluda County	Saluda 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 445-2469	474	32	14.8		82 (17.3%)	99 (20.9%)	286 (60.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)								(n/a)								$13,141	$1,416	$884	$2,301	$9,306	$1,534	$10,840
Saluda Elementary	Public	3-5	400 West Butler Avenue	Saluda	29138	Saluda County	Saluda 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 445-2564	397	28	14.4		70 (17.6%)	93 (23.4%)	224 (56.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	9.5	623^rd of 649 public elementary schools	4.0%		9.1	610^th of 640 public elementary schools	4.7%	13	37.8	42.1	37.0	33.9	21.4	29.2	25.4	$11,570	$1,529	$979	$2,508	$7,894	$1,168	$9,062
Pomaria-Garmany Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7288 US Highway 176	Pomaria	29126	Newberry County	Newberry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 321-2651	339	28	12.1		177 (52.2%)	73 (21.5%)	71 (20.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.3%)	71.4	180^th of 649 public elementary schools	72.3%		71.8	186^th of 640 public elementary schools	70.9%	6	73.4	67.9	71.2	75.5	46.5	53.8	78.6	$16,581	$2,068	$1,301	$3,369	$11,145	$2,067	$13,212

Frequently Asked Questions about Reuben Elementary

What schools do graduates of Reuben Elementary attend?

Students who attend Reuben Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Newberry Middle
High : Newberry High

What is the racial makeup of Reuben Elementary?

Students at Reuben Elementary are 47% White, 29% African American, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

Is Reuben Elementary a good school?

Reuben Elementary ranks 313^th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Reuben Elementary in?

Newberry 01

How many students attend Reuben Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 150 students attended Reuben Elementary.

Rate Reuben Elementary!

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresNewAug 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.