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Tamassee-Salem Elementary

Q: Is Tamassee-Salem Elementary a good school?

Tamassee-Salem Elementary ranks 172 nd of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

172^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 73% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Tamassee-Salem Elementary is a small, rural school in Tamassee, SC, serving 204 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Oconee 01 school district.

This school stands out for its remarkable recent improvement and its exceptional work with students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In the 2025-2026 school year, Tamassee-Salem jumped from a 3-star to a 4-star rating, moving from the 50th to the 73rd percentile statewide. Most impressively, the school earned a 5-star rating for its performance with low-income students, ranking in the 93rd percentile—a dramatic leap from the 39th percentile the year before. This is especially notable given that about 75% of students receive free or reduced lunch. The school also posted outstanding 4th-grade science scores, with 75% of students proficient, far exceeding district (56.1%) and state (51.6%) averages. Across nearly every subject and grade, scores improved significantly, suggesting recent instructional changes are having a powerful, school-wide impact.

What makes this school unique is how it combines high investment with strong results. Tamassee-Salem spends $19,609 per student—the highest in its comparison group, nearly double that of Six Mile Elementary—and maintains a very low student-teacher ratio of 11.2:1. This investment appears to pay off: the school now outperforms nearby schools like Orchard Park, Westminster Elementary, and Blue Ridge Elementary in overall ranking. It also keeps chronic absenteeism low at 15.9%, well below the district (23.2%) and state (22.3%) averages. While 5th-grade math and ELA scores lag slightly behind district averages, the school's overall trajectory—especially its success in closing achievement gaps—makes it a standout choice for families seeking a supportive, high-performing environment.

204

Students ?

11.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,609

Per pupil spending ?

75.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

9950 North Highway 11
Tamassee, SC 29686

(864) 886-4540

District: Oconee 01

Students who attend Tamassee-Salem Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Walhalla Middle
High:	Walhalla High

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.3%

Hispanic:

7.8%

Two or more races:

4.4%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Tamassee-Salem Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 67th percentile in 2016 → 73rd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (67% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 6 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the South Carolina median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg61%

South Carolina avg58%

172^nd of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 27%▲ up 7 pts since 2016

From top 33% (2016) to top 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 10Elementary Schools in the Oconee 01

18^th of 75Oconee 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	72.5	172 of 649	73.5%	★★★★☆
2025	48.0	319 of 640	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.5	223 of 638	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.4	191 of 644	70.3%	★★★★☆
2022	70.1	179 of 625	71.4%	★★★★☆
2021	59.4	245 of 622	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.4	311 of 643	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.4	262 of 624	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.2	277 of 639	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	65.3	205 of 619	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	49.1	318 of 638	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2014	73.6	145 of 630	77.0%	★★★★☆
2013	73.1	144 of 599	76.0%	★★★★☆
2012	65.7	208 of 594	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2011	75.8	118 of 597	80.2%	★★★★☆
2010	69.8	158 of 589	73.2%	★★★★☆
2009	67.7	176 of 580	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	64.2	210 of 577	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2007	68.0	171 of 566	69.8%	★★★★☆
2006	75.1	119 of 559	78.7%	★★★★☆
2005	82.8	65 of 557	88.3%	★★★★☆
2004	84.3	60 of 550	89.1%	★★★★☆
2003	75.9	118 of 542	78.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	63.1	209 of 588	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.8	310 of 570	45.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	86.3	44 of 624	92.9%	★★★★★
2025	38.8	376 of 613	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	51.7	288 of 599	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.7	175 of 608	71.2%	★★★★☆
2022	72.1	142 of 600	76.3%	★★★★☆
2021	57.8	230 of 580	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.4	332 of 600	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.4	295 of 588	49.8%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	68.5	175 of 579	69.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.5	267 of 590	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.2	239 of 571	58.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.3	271 of 454	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.5	370 of 460	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	44.9	268 of 441	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.1	279 of 463	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	45.1	274 of 455	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	30.9	319 of 439	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.2	361 of 472	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.7	336 of 457	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

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)93rd percentile+19 vs school

Male (2022)70th percentile~ school

Female (2019)64th percentile+13 vs school

White (2026)40th percentile-33 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

Science75%+23 vs state

English Language Arts72%+8 vs state

Mathematics60%+6 vs state

★

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Schools Near Tamassee-Salem 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
Tamassee-Salem Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	9950 North Highway 11	Tamassee	29686	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 886-4540	204	18	11.2		176 (86.3%)	3 (1.5%)	16 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.4%)	72.5	172^nd of 649 public elementary schools	73.5%		48	319^th of 640 public elementary schools	50.2%	147	77.5	79.2	62.5	64.6	70.8	46.9	75.0	$19,609	$1,339	$349	$1,688	$15,560	$2,361	$17,921
Keowee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7051 Keowee School Road	Seneca	29672	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 886-4475	305	28	10.8		267 (87.5%)	5 (1.6%)	21 (6.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)	82.5	105^th of 649 public elementary schools	83.8%		82.8	98^th of 640 public elementary schools	84.7%	7	78.0	71.4	77.6	78.0	67.4	74.1	59.2	$14,852	$1,007	$310	$1,317	$11,262	$2,273	$13,535
Walhalla Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	508 Fowler Road	West Union	29696	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 886-4480	612	45	13.6		471 (77.0%)	8 (1.3%)	111 (18.1%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.1%)	78	134^th of 649 public elementary schools	79.4%		76.3	147^th of 640 public elementary schools	77.0%	13	74.7	77.6	72.7	62.6	71.3	69.8	57.5	$14,023	$650	$382	$1,032	$11,169	$1,822	$12,991
James M. Brown Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	225 Coffee Road	Walhalla	29691	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 886-4470	558	53	10.5		333 (59.7%)	18 (3.2%)	190 (34.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	12 (2.2%)	34.2	426^th of 649 public elementary schools	34.4%		25.2	491^st of 640 public elementary schools	23.3%	65	52.3	60.8	52.1	36.9	51.3	34.8	48.6	$16,672	$1,910	$307	$2,217	$12,571	$1,883	$14,454
Six Mile Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	777 North Main Street	Six Mile	29682	Pickens County	Pickens 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 397-2400	571	39	14.5		515 (90.2%)	8 (1.4%)	18 (3.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.7%)	74.9	158^th of 649 public elementary schools	75.7%		73.7	171^st of 640 public elementary schools	73.3%	13	66.3	76.3	77.9	61.8	60.8	64.0	65.9	$11,326	$573	$572	$1,145	$9,143	$1,038	$10,181
Northside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	710 North Townville Street	Seneca	29678	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 886-4445	616	49	12.4		342 (55.5%)	117 (19.0%)	93 (15.1%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (9.3%)	65.5	215^th of 649 public elementary schools	66.9%		60.6	249^th of 640 public elementary schools	61.1%	34	70.1	68.8	68.3	60.8	60.5	44.9	64.6	$13,983	$404	$286	$690	$11,413	$1,880	$13,293
Westminster Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	206 Hamilton Street	Westminster	29693	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 886-4520	385	36	10.6		332 (86.2%)	12 (3.1%)	32 (8.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.3%)	46.4	334^th of 649 public elementary schools	48.5%		61.7	244^th of 640 public elementary schools	61.9%	90	67.6	55.7	69.1	61.5	37.1	50.9	34.3	$16,331	$1,298	$404	$1,701	$12,351	$2,279	$14,630
Blue Ridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	995 South Oak Street	Seneca	29678	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 886-4550	579	52	11.1		260 (44.9%)	123 (21.2%)	103 (17.8%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	85 (14.7%)	45.6	341^st of 649 public elementary schools	47.5%		34.4	421^st of 640 public elementary schools	34.2%	80	67.8	56.0	57.3	53.6	44.0	45.3	50.0	$16,602	$2,670	$344	$3,014	$11,452	$2,136	$13,588
Ravenel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 Ravenel School Road	Seneca	29678	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	No	(864) 886-4450	530	41	12.9		298 (56.2%)	122 (23.0%)	53 (10.0%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	48 (9.1%)	71.4	179^th of 649 public elementary schools	72.4%		63.7	233^rd of 640 public elementary schools	63.6%	54	78.6	68.4	66.0	74.2	65.8	54.2	55.7	$14,435	$689	$294	$983	$11,304	$2,148	$13,452
Orchard Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	600 Toccoa Highway	Westminster	29693	Oconee County	Oconee 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 886-4515	360	38	9.4		314 (87.2%)	17 (4.7%)	21 (5.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	6 (1.7%)	70.1	189^th of 649 public elementary schools	70.9%		63	236^th of 640 public elementary schools	63.1%	47	73.9	74.4	60.0	65.2	58.2	61.4	67.5	$16,612	$2,424	$413	$2,838	$11,650	$2,124	$13,774

Frequently Asked Questions about Tamassee-Salem Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Tamassee-Salem Elementary?

Students at Tamassee-Salem Elementary are 86% White, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Is Tamassee-Salem Elementary a good school?

Tamassee-Salem Elementary ranks 172^nd of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Tamassee-Salem Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 204 students attended Tamassee-Salem Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Tamassee-Salem Elementary attend?

Students who attend Tamassee-Salem Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Walhalla Middle
High : Walhalla High

What district is Tamassee-Salem Elementary in?

Oconee 01

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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.