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

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its South Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Monarch Elementary

Q: Is Monarch Elementary a good school?

Monarch Elementary ranks 392 nd of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

392^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 40% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Monarch Elementary in Union, SC, serves 442 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Union 01 school district. The school has maintained a steady 2-star rating in recent years, ranking in the 40th percentile statewide—a significant improvement from its 1-star rating and 23rd percentile ranking in 2018-2019. All students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the school maintains a favorable 13:1 student-teacher ratio. Per-student spending has increased 28% over four years, reaching $13,860, which reflects growing district investment in the school.

Monarch stands out as a bright spot within its district, consistently outperforming district averages across most subjects and grade levels. In the most recent testing year, 4th graders achieved a 70.8% proficiency rate in math—26 points above the district average and nearly double the rate at nearby Buffalo Elementary (32.5%) and Foster Park Elementary (27.9%). Monarch's state ranking (40th percentile) dramatically exceeds that of Buffalo and Foster Park, which both rank in the 6th percentile. The school also boasts a chronic absenteeism rate of just 13.9%, well below the district average of 22.8% and nearly half that of Foster Park (25.1%). This attendance advantage likely contributes to Monarch's academic outperformance relative to its district peers.

While Monarch excels in many areas, 5th grade math presents a notable challenge, with proficiency dropping from 48.9% to 25.4% in one year—the only subject where the school falls below its district average. When compared to schools in neighboring districts, Monarch trails higher performers like Pauline-Glenn Springs Elementary (66th percentile) and Pacolet Elementary (73rd percentile), though it outperforms Whitmire Community School (Elementary) in similar demographics. Monarch achieves better outcomes than Buffalo and Foster Park while spending less per student, demonstrating strong cost-effectiveness. With continued investment and focus on 5th grade math, Monarch appears well-positioned to regain the 3-star rating it last earned in 2021-2022.

442

Students ?

13.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,860

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

218 Monarch School Drive
Union, SC 29379

(864) 429-1733

District: Union 01

Students who attend Monarch Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Sims Middle
High:	Union County High

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.1%

African American:

31.9%

Hispanic:

3.4%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Monarch Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 58th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Union 01

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (51% vs 58% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg41%

South Carolina avg58%

392^nd of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 42% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 4Elementary Schools in the Union 01

64^th of 75Union 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	40.5	392 of 649	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.2	334 of 640	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.6	349 of 638	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.0	378 of 644	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.4	264 of 625	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.5	359 of 622	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	24.2	498 of 643	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	29.6	445 of 624	28.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	35.3	419 of 639	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	56.6	258 of 619	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	47.8	334 of 638	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	51.2	336 of 630	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.5	344 of 599	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	47.9	349 of 594	41.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	47.4	354 of 597	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	37.5	414 of 589	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	34.9	417 of 580	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	35.9	416 of 577	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	28.2	457 of 566	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	29.0	442 of 559	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	30.9	428 of 557	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	46.7	337 of 550	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2003	48.2	309 of 542	43.0%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	51.1	180 of 381	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.6	249 of 394	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	61.6	122 of 393	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	41.4	207 of 350	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	20.9	374 of 421	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	35.0	294 of 412	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	31.3	114 of 174	34.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	65.2	49 of 151	67.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	44.3	317 of 589	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.1	353 of 581	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	44.3	326 of 565	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.3	369 of 580	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.4	268 of 573	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.1	356 of 554	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	23.8	468 of 588	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.8	450 of 570	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	39.9	386 of 624	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.4	327 of 613	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.2	330 of 599	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	45.1	332 of 608	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	65.3	189 of 600	68.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.8	339 of 580	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	19.1	524 of 600	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	23.8	486 of 588	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	378 of 583	35.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.1	290 of 586	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.4	314 of 568	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.4	316 of 582	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	56.9	251 of 579	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.6	314 of 561	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	22.3	475 of 590	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.1	388 of 571	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	27.6	349 of 454	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.4	340 of 460	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	31.3	330 of 441	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	375 of 463	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.2	280 of 455	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.2	277 of 439	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	13.2	433 of 472	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	14.4	423 of 457	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2025)53rd percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)46th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)38th percentile~ school

Male (2026)35th percentile-4 vs school

Disabled (2023)34th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)23rd percentile-16 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts58%-7 vs state

Mathematics49%-5 vs state

Science40%-11 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Monarch Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Monarch 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 Monarch 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 (2024)	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
Monarch Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	218 Monarch School Drive	Union	29379	Union County	Union 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 429-1733	442	34	13.0	100.0%	279 (63.1%)	141 (31.9%)	15 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	40.5	392^nd of 649 public elementary schools	39.6%		46.2	334^th of 640 public elementary schools	47.8%	58	53.3	66.6	53.7				48.1	70.8	25.4				40.3		$13,860	$2,396	$1,311	$3,707	$8,349	$1,804	$10,152
Foster Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Arthur Boulevard	Union	29379	Union County	Union 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 429-1737	430	30	14.3	100.0%	150 (34.9%)	222 (51.6%)	20 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (8.8%)	10.7	610^th of 649 public elementary schools	6.0%		17.9	541^st of 640 public elementary schools	15.5%	69	38.9	38.2	45.3				33.4	27.9	31.3				13.2		$16,083	$2,685	$1,545	$4,230	$9,864	$1,989	$11,852
Buffalo Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	733 Main Street	Buffalo	29321	Union County	Union 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 429-1730	483	36	13.4	100.0%	219 (45.3%)	167 (34.6%)	21 (4.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (15.3%)	10.5	612^th of 649 public elementary schools	5.7%		10.3	600^th of 640 public elementary schools	6.3%	12	43.3	42.9	25.4				28.9	32.5	17.9				32.5		$14,327	$2,048	$1,389	$3,438	$9,106	$1,784	$10,890
Jonesville Elementary/Middle	Public	PK, KG-8	350 New Hope Church Road	Jonesville	29353	Union County	Union 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 674-5518	557	43	13.1	39.0%	355 (63.7%)	116 (20.8%)	19 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (11.8%)	29.3	462^nd of 649 public elementary schools	28.8%		32.7	431^st of 640 public elementary schools	32.7%	31	55.9	59.4	50.0	47.5	53.5	52.1	39.8	46.9	30.4	22.1	30.4	27.1	40.7	35.6	$13,495	$2,107	$1,485	$3,592	$8,174	$1,729	$9,903
Pacolet Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	150 McDowell Street	Pacolet	29372	Spartanburg County	Spartanburg 03	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 279-6500	429	27	15.8	100.0%	284 (66.2%)	70 (16.3%)	27 (6.3%)	6 (1.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.1%)	72.4	176^th of 649 public elementary schools	72.9%		75.9	154^th of 640 public elementary schools	75.9%	22	79.0	68.8	55.4				75.8	75.4	48.3				67.2		$16,799	$1,359	$1,992	$3,351	$11,095	$2,353	$13,448
Whitmire Community School (Elementary)	Public	PK, KG-5	2597 SC Highway 66	Whitmire	29178	Newberry County	Newberry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 694-2320	250	20	12.6	100.0%	186 (74.4%)	34 (13.6%)	8 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.8%)	44.8	352^nd of 649 public elementary schools	45.8%		61.7	245^th of 640 public elementary schools	61.7%	107	57.8	61.5	60.0				52.6	38.5	42.2				58.9		$14,884	$1,305	$1,703	$3,007	$8,949	$2,927	$11,876
Pauline-Glenn Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2957 Highway 56	Pauline	29374	Spartanburg County	Spartanburg 06	No	No	No	No	(864) 583-1868	482	32	15.0	46.6%	414 (85.9%)	11 (2.3%)	35 (7.3%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.5%)	65.1	219^th of 649 public elementary schools	66.3%		72.9	181^st of 640 public elementary schools	71.7%	38	61.1	71.6	67.8				58.5	66.7	57.5				54.3		$12,801	$544	$41	$584	$10,828	$1,389	$12,217
Goucher Charter Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	604 Goucher School	Gaffney	29340	Cherokee County	Limestone Charters Association	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(864) 210-9262	244	24	10.1	63.8%	208 (85.2%)	7 (2.9%)	11 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.1%)	42.7	374^th of 649 public elementary schools	42.4%		43.7	350^th of 640 public elementary schools	45.3%	24	66.7		70.0	47.0	44.2	45.9	66.6		36.7	20.6	17.7	16.2		41.2	$16,223	$696	$1,708	$2,404	$9,916	$3,903	$13,819

Frequently Asked Questions about Monarch Elementary

What schools do graduates of Monarch Elementary attend?

Students who attend Monarch Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Sims Middle
High : Union County High

Is Monarch Elementary a good school?

Monarch Elementary ranks 392^nd of 649 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Monarch Elementary in?

Union 01

What is the racial makeup of Monarch Elementary?

Students at Monarch Elementary are 63% White, 32% African American, 3% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Monarch Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 442 students attended Monarch Elementary.

Rate Monarch Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

SCSouth Carolina Elementary School Rankings

SCSouth Carolina District Rankings

Schools in Union, SC

Sign up for updates!

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

Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 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.