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

Joseph Keels Elementary

Q: Is Joseph Keels Elementary a good school?

Joseph Keels Elementary ranks 421 st of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

421^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 35% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Joseph Keels Elementary is a public school in Columbia, SC, serving 465 students in grades PK-5 within the Richland 02 school district. The school has historically ranked in the bottom half of South Carolina elementary schools, but recent data shows a promising upward trend, with its overall ranking jumping to the 35th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year—its highest in several years.

The most notable strength at Joseph Keels is its exceptional performance with African American students, who rank in the 81st percentile statewide for academic growth and performance—a remarkable achievement that far outpaces the school's overall ranking and has improved significantly over the past two years. However, there is a stark gender gap: female students rank in the 52nd percentile while male students rank in the 20th percentile, a 32-point difference that suggests the school is struggling to engage its male students. The school also invests heavily in its students, spending $17,949 per pupil with a favorable 10.9:1 student-teacher ratio—both significantly better than nearby schools like Forest Lake Elementary ($14,520) and Polo Road Elementary ($15,464).

Despite these resources, the school faces critical challenges. Chronic absenteeism sits at 35.0%, nearly double the district average of 18.3% and a major barrier to learning. Academically, the school shows strength in English Language Arts (4th-grade ELA at 56.1% proficiency) but struggles in math (4th-grade math at just 42.4% vs. the district's 49.1%). Encouragingly, test scores are improving across the board—5th-grade math proficiency has climbed from 28.6% to 50.7% in just two years. While Joseph Keels still lags behind top-performing schools in the nearby Richland 01 district, such as Brockman Elementary (97th percentile), its recent momentum and targeted strengths suggest a school on the rise.

465

Students ?

10.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,949

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7500 Springcrest Drive
Columbia, SC 29223

(803) 736-8754

District: Richland 02

Students who attend Joseph Keels Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Dent Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

82.6%

Hispanic:

9.5%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Joseph Keels Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 8th percentile in 2016 → 35th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 27 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (49% vs 58% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 22% South Carolina)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg55%

South Carolina avg58%

421^st of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 35%▲ up 27 pts since 2016

From bottom 8% (2016) to bottom 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

17^th of 22Elementary Schools in the Richland 02

36^th of 75Richland 02 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	35.7	421 of 649	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.1	451 of 640	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.6	449 of 638	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.3	433 of 644	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.3	391 of 625	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.9	463 of 622	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	487 of 643	24.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.6	499 of 624	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.2	536 of 639	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	13.5	571 of 619	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	24.1	532 of 638	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	16.6	580 of 630	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	13.3	556 of 599	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	17.9	530 of 594	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	23.5	505 of 597	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	30.0	464 of 589	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	20.7	509 of 580	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	11.3	543 of 577	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2007	18.3	506 of 566	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	21.6	483 of 559	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	33.7	409 of 557	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	23.5	464 of 550	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2003	33.2	395 of 542	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	72 of 379	81.0%	★★★★☆
2025	59.8	132 of 381	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.3	138 of 369	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.6	80 of 394	79.7%	★★★★☆
2022	82.4	39 of 393	90.1%	★★★★★
2021	64.6	91 of 350	74.0%	★★★★☆
2019	56.4	163 of 421	61.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.1	193 of 412	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.8	285 of 589	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	31.8	399 of 581	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.0	402 of 565	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.0	390 of 580	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.6	386 of 573	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.1	434 of 554	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	34.3	408 of 588	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	33.1	403 of 570	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	48.9	320 of 624	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	41.8	353 of 613	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.6	362 of 599	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.8	293 of 608	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.4	282 of 600	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	38.2	376 of 580	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.2	412 of 600	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	30.5	434 of 588	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.1	469 of 583	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	27.4	436 of 586	25.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.4	428 of 568	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.6	399 of 582	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.1	365 of 579	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.5	421 of 561	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.0	521 of 590	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	11.7	531 of 571	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)81st percentile+46 vs school

Female (2026)52nd percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)49th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)20th percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts53%-12 vs state

Science48%-4 vs state

Mathematics45%-8 vs state

1.0

1 rating

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★1

Rate Joseph Keels 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 Joseph Keels Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th 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
Joseph Keels Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	7500 Springcrest Drive	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 736-8754	465	43	10.9		7 (1.5%)	384 (82.6%)	44 (9.5%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (4.1%)	35.7	421^st of 649 public elementary schools	35.1%		30.1	451^st of 640 public elementary schools	29.5%	30	46.7	56.1	54.3				51.7	42.4	42.9				47.9		$17,949	$1,969	$1,001	$2,969	$12,353	$2,628	$14,980
Jackson Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7150 Trenholm Road Extension	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 790-3800	551	50	10.9		4 (0.7%)	426 (77.3%)	79 (14.3%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	36 (6.5%)	13.3	592^nd of 649 public elementary schools	8.8%		11.3	589^th of 640 public elementary schools	8.0%	3	48.6	35.7	38.0				46.6	24.3	22.5				28.6		$15,730	$1,991	$706	$2,697	$10,820	$2,213	$13,033
L. W. Conder Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	8040 Hunt Club Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 736-8720	489	44	11.1		18 (3.7%)	259 (53.0%)	186 (38.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.7%)	15.6	574^th of 649 public elementary schools	11.6%		15.7	561^st of 640 public elementary schools	12.3%	13	38.7	49.2	49.3				30.7	37.0	27.9				27.7		$18,312	$1,946	$926	$2,872	$12,763	$2,677	$15,440
Forest Lake Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	6801 Brookfield Road	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 782-0470	652	49	13.2		113 (17.3%)	363 (55.7%)	117 (17.9%)	20 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (5.8%)	52.5	290^th of 649 public elementary schools	55.3%		56	271^st of 640 public elementary schools	57.7%	19	54.3	76.4	59.4				54.3	50.5	47.7				58.3		$14,520	$1,089	$725	$1,813	$10,351	$2,357	$12,707
E. L. Wright Middle	Public, Magnet	K-8	2740 Alpine Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-8740	1,275	87	14.5		201 (15.8%)	735 (57.6%)	202 (15.8%)	71 (5.6%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (4.8%)	43.5	364^th of 649 public elementary schools	43.9%		36.2	405^th of 640 public elementary schools	36.7%	41	88.7	97.8	97.4	41.9	52.8	52.9	72.8	72.7	84.6	26.7	29.4	33.2	81.8	40.8	$13,243	$801	$448	$1,249	$9,658	$2,336	$11,994
Windsor Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	9800 Dunbarton Drive	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 736-8723	579	52	11.2		27 (4.7%)	358 (61.8%)	168 (29.0%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	20 (3.5%)	11.9	599^th of 649 public elementary schools	7.7%		11.2	593^rd of 640 public elementary schools	7.3%	6	37.1	45.7	43.5				34.2	20.2	22.0				35.1		$16,902	$1,736	$1,079	$2,815	$11,627	$2,460	$14,086
A. J. Lewis Greenview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	726 Easter Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3417	358	24	15.2		1 (0.3%)	325 (90.8%)	25 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.0%)	17.3	553^rd of 649 public elementary schools	14.8%		16.6	553^rd of 640 public elementary schools	13.6%		40.4	47.7	52.2				23.9	25.6	41.3				28.8		$22,558	$2,904	$1,712	$4,616	$14,919	$3,024	$17,943
Polo Road Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1250 Polo Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 419-2226	665	50	13.2		39 (5.9%)	345 (51.9%)	217 (32.6%)	15 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	48 (7.2%)	18.8	538^th of 649 public elementary schools	17.1%		21.1	524^th of 640 public elementary schools	18.1%	14	44.6	50.6	49.5				43.7	24.7	29.3				35.3		$15,464	$1,280	$1,131	$2,411	$11,315	$1,738	$13,053
Satchel Ford Elementary	Public	K-5	5901 Satchel Ford Road	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 738-7209	721	48	15.1		499 (69.2%)	151 (20.9%)	34 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.1%)	88.7	63^rd of 649 public elementary schools	90.3%		88.2	61^st of 640 public elementary schools	90.5%	2	75.8	83.6	87.9				70.3	72.4	81.9				74.6		$16,843	$2,148	$1,176	$3,325	$11,759	$1,759	$13,518
Brockman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2245 Montclair Drive	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 790-6743	297	21	14.1		207 (69.7%)	34 (11.4%)	21 (7.1%)	15 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.7%)	95.9	18^th of 649 public elementary schools	97.2%		86.5	73^rd of 640 public elementary schools	88.6%	55	91.9	90.9					80.6	84.9	76.6				94.0		$29,849	$2,239	$1,349	$3,589	$23,305	$2,955	$26,260

Frequently Asked Questions about Joseph Keels Elementary

Is Joseph Keels Elementary a good school?

Joseph Keels Elementary ranks 421^st of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Joseph Keels Elementary?

Students at Joseph Keels Elementary are 83% African American, 9% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Not Specified, 2% White.

What district is Joseph Keels Elementary in?

Richland 02

What schools do graduates of Joseph Keels Elementary attend?

Students who attend Joseph Keels Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dent Middle

How many students attend Joseph Keels Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 465 students attended Joseph Keels Elementary.

Rate Joseph Keels Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SCSouth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

SCSouth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Columbia, SC

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Joseph Keels Elementary!

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.