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Mill Creek Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

536^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Mill Creek Elementary is a PK-5 school in Columbia, SC, serving 353 students in the Richland 01 school district, where 100% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch.

Mill Creek faces significant academic challenges, particularly in math. In the most recent school year, only 17.7% of 3rd graders, 28.3% of 4th graders, and 27.5% of 5th graders were proficient in math—a gap of 30 to 40 percentage points compared to state averages. This represents a steep decline from just two years prior, when 3rd grade math proficiency was 39.6%. Reading scores are stronger, with 46.8% of 3rd graders, 54.3% of 4th graders, and 55% of 5th graders proficient in ELA, though still below state benchmarks. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism, with 23.6% of students missing significant school time—far higher than nearby Brockman Elementary (1.9%) and Brennen Elementary (8.3%). Notably, Mill Creek spends $20,636 per student, more than several higher-performing nearby schools, yet outcomes remain low.

There are some bright spots. Science proficiency reached 39.1% in 4th grade, close to the district average, and the school serves its African American students relatively well compared to other schools statewide. Performance also tends to improve from 3rd to 5th grade, suggesting students make progress over time. However, the school's overall state ranking has been volatile, dropping to the bottom 10% in 2024-2025 before recovering slightly. For parents, the key takeaway is that Mill Creek offers strong resources and some areas of promise, but math achievement and attendance are critical areas needing attention. Families may want to compare outcomes with nearby Caughman Road Elementary, which serves a similar population but achieves better 3rd grade math results (41.7% vs. 17.7%).

353

Students ?

15.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,636

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

925 Universal Drive
Columbia, SC 29209

(803) 783-5553

District: Richland 01

Students who attend Mill Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hopkins Middle
High:	Lower Richland High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

90.4%

Two or more races:

4.2%

White:

2.8%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 41st percentile in 2016 → 17th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (38% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 24 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school38%

District avg50%

South Carolina avg58%

536^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 23 pts since 2016

From bottom 41% (2016) to bottom 17% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

16^th of 27Elementary Schools in the Richland 01

55^th of 75Richland 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	18.9	536 of 649	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.5	587 of 640	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	26.3	472 of 638	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.7	482 of 644	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.2	526 of 625	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.0	500 of 622	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.2	523 of 643	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.0	449 of 624	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.0	477 of 639	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	41.6	367 of 619	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	27.2	504 of 638	21.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	29.1	491 of 630	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	29.4	479 of 599	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	24.8	505 of 594	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	19.6	529 of 597	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	12.7	552 of 589	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2009	19.3	514 of 580	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	9.2	557 of 577	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	43.9	364 of 566	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2006	22.4	477 of 559	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	24.6	461 of 557	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	35.0	396 of 550	28.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	34.3	387 of 542	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	248 of 379	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.5	283 of 381	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.2	158 of 369	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.7	171 of 394	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.2	227 of 393	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.3	191 of 350	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.6	217 of 421	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	57.8	147 of 412	64.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.5	514 of 589	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	20.9	483 of 581	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.5	440 of 580	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	28.5	403 of 554	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.1	487 of 588	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.3	419 of 570	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.8	520 of 624	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	10.4	591 of 613	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	33.0	424 of 599	29.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.6	487 of 608	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.7	527 of 600	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	445 of 580	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.8	512 of 600	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	34.7	402 of 588	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.1	470 of 583	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	7.6	563 of 586	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	19.3	470 of 568	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.0	428 of 582	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.8	437 of 579	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	18.7	497 of 590	15.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	28.2	421 of 571	26.3%	★☆☆☆☆

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)35th percentile+17 vs school

Male (2026)19th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)17th percentile~ school

Female (2026)13th percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts51%-13 vs state

Science39%-12 vs state

Mathematics24%-30 vs state

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, October 18, 2011

my child is a student at millcreek. I find this school to be lacking in supervision and failing them when it comes to providing a proper learning environment. My child hardly comes home with any homework! She has been bullied constantly with physical and verbal abuse. She has constantly been told by faculty to let them know when these incidents occure and nothing is done. Recently someone wrote in her agenda book and called her an "ugly bitch". My child was in class crying. This matter was taken to the principal and i was never notified. Luckily we discuss how my childs day went and thats when i was made aware of this situation. This is not simple name calling, this is profanity! i felt that i should have been made aware of the situation immidiatly and kept informed of the disciplinary actions taken...if any. Last year i documented for months in my childs book that i needed for her home room teacher to contact me as well as leaving two messages for her at school.i was never cotnacted until i finally went up to school and spoke with the principal. He told me a lot of times teachers are reluctant to speak to parents for fear of confrintation. That is the most rediculous thing i have ever heard regarding a childs education! My child currently reieves after school tutoring to prepare for the standardize testing. I think if they would concentrate more on learing and teaching in class they could better prepare the students. When i asked my child what she they did in school that day or what was learned its almost nothing. I am extremely disappointed in the school system and can only hope my daughter will not have to attend Millcreek next year. Im worried this school is putting her behind and she will have a hard time once she reaches another district. Close Quote

Schools Near Mill Creek 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
Mill Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	925 Universal Drive	Columbia	29209	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 783-5553	353	23	15.3		10 (2.8%)	319 (90.4%)	7 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.2%)	18.9	536^th of 649 public elementary schools	17.4%		11.5	587^th of 640 public elementary schools	8.3%	51	46.8	54.3	55.0	17.7	28.3	27.5	39.1	$20,636	$1,533	$1,784	$3,317	$14,355	$2,964	$17,319
Caughman Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7725 Caughman Road	Columbia	29209	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 783-5534	715	53	13.4		75 (10.5%)	466 (65.2%)	91 (12.7%)	17 (2.4%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.6%)	61 (8.5%)	23.5	504^th of 649 public elementary schools	22.3%		21.5	519^th of 640 public elementary schools	18.9%	15	44.3	61.9	47.6	41.7	32.6	20.4	44.6	$18,150	$1,820	$1,179	$3,000	$12,765	$2,385	$15,150
Annie Burnside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7300 Patterson Road	Columbia	29209	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 783-5530	306	22	13.9		12 (3.9%)	234 (76.5%)	21 (6.9%)	9 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	28 (9.2%)	47.5	325^th of 649 public elementary schools	49.9%		55.3	273^rd of 640 public elementary schools	57.3%	52	69.7	68.0	69.3	51.1	31.9	48.1	34.0	$21,729	$2,670	$1,285	$3,955	$15,150	$2,623	$17,773
Meadowfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	525 Galway Lane	Columbia	29209	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 738-5549	615	42	14.6		120 (19.5%)	361 (58.7%)	73 (11.9%)	11 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (8.1%)	32.8	434^th of 649 public elementary schools	33.1%		37.2	398^th of 640 public elementary schools	37.8%	36	52.6	50.9	62.5	46.9	38.3	39.8	43.0	$18,615	$1,846	$1,229	$3,076	$13,091	$2,448	$15,540
South Kilbourne Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 South Kilbourne Road	Columbia	29205	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 738-7215	234	20	11.7		23 (9.8%)	162 (69.2%)	32 (13.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (6.4%)	18.4	544^th of 649 public elementary schools	16.2%		25.2	490^th of 640 public elementary schools	23.4%	54	51.4	50.0	48.6	40.0	26.7	32.4	23.3	$21,174	$2,140	$1,570	$3,710	$14,752	$2,712	$17,464
Hopkins Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6120 Cabin Creek Road	Hopkins	29061	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 783-5541	284	23	12.6		21 (7.4%)	234 (82.4%)	14 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.3%)	55.5	269^th of 649 public elementary schools	58.6%		46.8	328^th of 640 public elementary schools	48.8%	59	75.0	55.3	56.5	78.1	48.9	52.5	51.1	$27,792	$3,418	$1,566	$4,985	$19,870	$2,938	$22,808
Brennen Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4438 Devereaux Road	Columbia	29205	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 738-7204	805	57	14.2		466 (57.9%)	163 (20.2%)	102 (12.7%)	10 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	63 (7.8%)	88.7	62^nd of 649 public elementary schools	90.4%		86.5	71^st of 640 public elementary schools	88.9%	9	90.8	79.2	76.4	87.9	72.0	67.4	67.2	$16,878	$1,319	$1,131	$2,450	$12,376	$2,052	$14,427
Horrell Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	517 Horrell Hill Road	Hopkins	29061	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 783-5545	565	37	15.2		71 (12.6%)	351 (62.1%)	100 (17.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (7.3%)	19.4	532^nd of 649 public elementary schools	18.0%		23.3	503^rd of 640 public elementary schools	21.4%	29	42.1	41.6	54.0	39.2	28.7	45.2	32.7	$18,359	$1,989	$1,236	$3,224	$12,680	$2,454	$15,134
Rosewood Elementary	Public	K-5	3300 Rosewood Drive	Columbia	29205	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 343-2930	338	26	13.0		211 (62.4%)	80 (23.7%)	16 (4.7%)	5 (1.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.4%)	88	68^th of 649 public elementary schools	89.5%		80	116^th of 640 public elementary schools	81.9%	48	85.4	81.5	88.7	80.0	62.9	71.0	64.8	$19,927	$1,392	$1,173	$2,566	$15,008	$2,353	$17,361
A. C. Moore Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	333 Etiwan Avenue	Columbia	29205	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 343-2910	244	23	10.6		101 (41.4%)	81 (33.2%)	29 (11.9%)	11 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (9.0%)	68.7	198^th of 649 public elementary schools	69.5%		57.3	269^th of 640 public elementary schools	58.0%	71	66.7	66.7	64.0	63.8	69.4	60.0	61.2	$27,702	$2,149	$1,300	$3,449	$20,919	$3,334	$24,253

Frequently Asked Questions about Mill Creek Elementary

What district is Mill Creek Elementary in?

Richland 01

How many students attend Mill Creek Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 353 students attended Mill Creek Elementary.

Is Mill Creek Elementary a good school?

Mill Creek Elementary ranks in the bottom 17.4% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Mill Creek Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mill Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hopkins Middle
High : Lower Richland High

What is the racial makeup of Mill Creek Elementary?

Students at Mill Creek Elementary are 90% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% White, 2% Hispanic.

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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.