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Pontiac Elementary

Q: Is Pontiac Elementary a good school?

Pontiac Elementary ranks 399 th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Magnet Grades PK, KG-5

399^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 39% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Pontiac Elementary is a PK-5 school in Elgin, SC, serving about 880 students within the Richland 02 school district, where just over half of the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch. The school maintains a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 13.7:1 and spends roughly $14,012 per student.

One of Pontiac's standout strengths is its exceptional performance with African American students, who rank in the 69th percentile statewide—a significant achievement that outpaces the school's overall ranking of 39th percentile. This suggests effective instructional strategies are in place for this group. However, the school faces challenges in mathematics, where proficiency rates trail state averages by 10-20 percentage points across all grade levels. For example, only 37.4% of 3rd graders scored proficient in math compared to the state average of 59.2%. The school also shows a widening gender gap, with female students outperforming males, and declining performance among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, dropping from the 48th percentile to the 30th percentile over the past two years. On a positive note, 4th grade science proficiency (49.7%) nearly matches the state average, and chronic absenteeism has improved to 19.1%, though it remains above nearby schools like Bookman Road Elementary (10.2%) and North Springs Elementary (12.3%).

When compared to Catawba Trail Elementary, located just 1.37 miles away, Pontiac trails significantly in both ELA and math proficiency, with Catawba Trail ranking in the 70th percentile overall versus Pontiac's 39th. While Pontiac's performance has shown year-to-year volatility, particularly in math, its success with African American students and recent improvements with Hispanic students (jumping from the 19th to 46th percentile) suggest targeted interventions may be gaining traction. Families considering Pontiac should weigh its strengths in serving diverse learners against the persistent math achievement gap and declining outcomes for low-income students.

880

Students ?

13.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,012

Per pupil spending ?

56.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 Spears Creek Church Road
Elgin, SC 29045

(803) 699-2700

District: Richland 02

Students who attend Pontiac Elementary usually attend:

High:

Spring Valley High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

57.2%

White:

16.3%

Hispanic:

14.7%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Pontiac Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 54th percentile in 2016 → 39th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (50% vs 58% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 15 percentile points since 2016

!Mathematics scores 12 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school50%

District avg55%

South Carolina avg58%

399^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 39%▼ down 16 pts since 2016

From top 46% (2016) to bottom 39% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^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	39.2	399 of 649	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.9	327 of 640	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.8	337 of 638	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.8	340 of 644	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	55.0	276 of 625	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.9	353 of 622	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	46.2	353 of 643	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	51.1	297 of 624	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2017	54.7	282 of 639	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2016	53.8	284 of 619	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.5	261 of 638	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2014	51.2	337 of 630	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	41.2	383 of 599	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	49.2	344 of 594	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.1	311 of 597	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2010	63.9	204 of 589	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2009	57.7	259 of 580	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2008	74.1	120 of 577	79.2%	★★★★☆
2007	66.3	182 of 566	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2006	67.2	180 of 559	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	70.1	159 of 557	71.5%	★★★★☆
2004	66.5	178 of 550	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2003	70.8	155 of 542	71.4%	★★★★☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	62.6	116 of 379	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	73.8	75 of 381	80.3%	★★★★☆
2024	80.5	43 of 369	88.3%	★★★★☆
2023	70.1	82 of 394	79.2%	★★★★☆
2022	80.6	52 of 393	86.8%	★★★★☆
2021	68.7	72 of 350	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	63.0	134 of 421	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.8	92 of 412	77.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.3	354 of 589	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.3	315 of 581	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.8	280 of 565	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.1	297 of 580	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.4	259 of 573	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	35.1	363 of 554	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	40.3	369 of 588	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	54.2	264 of 570	53.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	46.0	84 of 155	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.8	113 of 156	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.6	93 of 115	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	32.2	437 of 624	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.2	371 of 613	39.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.8	310 of 599	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.5	339 of 608	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.1	246 of 600	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.7	340 of 580	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.2	321 of 600	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.0	384 of 588	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.7	381 of 583	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.7	325 of 586	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.1	341 of 568	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.2	355 of 582	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	53.5	269 of 579	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.4	297 of 561	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	49.0	306 of 590	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	43.8	322 of 571	43.6%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	199 of 454	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.8	187 of 460	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.7	219 of 472	53.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	70.4	126 of 457	72.4%	★★★★☆

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)69th percentile+31 vs school

White (2026)56th percentile+18 vs school

Hispanic (2026)46th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2026)40th percentile~ school

Male (2026)35th percentile-4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)30th percentile-9 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts59%-5 vs state

Science50%~ state avg

Mathematics41%-12 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, March 12, 2011

The best school with the best faculty! My child is taught as an individual! There are some awesome things happening here!! Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, January 25, 2010

I love this school. They know who you are and always polite. The teachers are terrific!!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Pontiac 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 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
Pontiac Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	500 Spears Creek Church Road	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2700	880	64	13.7		143 (16.3%)	503 (57.2%)	129 (14.7%)	32 (3.6%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (8.0%)	39.2	399^th of 649 public elementary schools	38.5%		46.9	327^th of 640 public elementary schools	48.9%	72	56.7	65.1	56.0				37.4	46.3	39.3				49.7		$14,012	$1,267	$526	$1,793	$10,233	$1,985	$12,219
Catawba Trail Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1080 Old National Highway	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 699-3501	636	50	12.7		108 (17.0%)	297 (46.7%)	177 (27.8%)	13 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.2%)	69.2	195^th of 649 public elementary schools	70.0%		74.3	165^th of 640 public elementary schools	74.2%	30	66.1	69.0	71.9				65.6	58.6	59.4				60.8		$14,516	$1,812	$821	$2,634	$10,009	$1,874	$11,883
Bookman Road Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1245 Bookman Road	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 699-1724	535	43	12.3		101 (18.9%)	314 (58.7%)	72 (13.5%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (6.9%)	57.8	258^th of 649 public elementary schools	60.2%		59.2	261^st of 640 public elementary schools	59.2%	3	74.6	71.9	55.1				69.8	48.8	35.0				60.9		$19,019	$1,905	$765	$2,670	$13,672	$2,677	$16,349
Summit Parkway Middle	Public, Magnet	K-8	200 Summit Parkway	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-3580	1,229	84	14.5		193 (15.7%)	731 (59.5%)	163 (13.3%)	40 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	96 (7.8%)	49.3	317^th of 649 public elementary schools	51.2%		31.9	436^th of 640 public elementary schools	31.9%	119	69.8	90.0	86.5	50.4	51.3	47.0	58.1	72.5	81.1	35.8	21.8	32.7	62.5	40.4	$12,925	$888	$320	$1,208	$9,472	$2,245	$11,717
North Springs Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1300 Clemson Road	Columbia	29229	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-3183	659	53	12.4		52 (7.9%)	486 (73.7%)	64 (9.7%)	9 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (5.8%)	40.7	391^st of 649 public elementary schools	39.8%		37.3	396^th of 640 public elementary schools	38.1%	5	59.6	63.4	59.1				55.3	39.8	35.4				45.1		$16,072	$1,643	$1,136	$2,780	$11,109	$2,183	$13,292
L. B. Nelson Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	225 North Brickyard Road	Columbia	29223	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 736-8730	541	44	12.2		56 (10.4%)	380 (70.2%)	55 (10.2%)	11 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.0%)	50.4	311^th of 649 public elementary schools	52.1%		47.9	321^st of 640 public elementary schools	49.8%	10	53.1	62.5	60.3				56.3	55.7	38.4				60.2		$15,825	$1,669	$976	$2,645	$10,966	$2,213	$13,179
Bridge Creek Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	121 Bombing Range Road	Elgin	29045	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 462-3900	564	47	12.1		63 (11.2%)	374 (66.3%)	77 (13.7%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	42 (7.4%)	42	379^th of 649 public elementary schools	41.6%		43.6	352^nd of 640 public elementary schools	45.0%	27	50.0	68.4	58.7				53.4	48.7	44.4				39.5		$15,344	$1,391	$802	$2,192	$11,303	$1,848	$13,151
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Pontiac Elementary

What schools do graduates of Pontiac Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pontiac Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Spring Valley High

Is Pontiac Elementary a good school?

Pontiac Elementary ranks 399^th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Pontiac Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 880 students attended Pontiac Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Pontiac Elementary?

Students at Pontiac Elementary are 57% African American, 16% White, 15% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What district is Pontiac Elementary in?

Richland 02

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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.