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Independence Elementary

Q: Is Independence Elementary a good school?

Independence Elementary ranks 336 th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

336^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 48% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Independence Elementary is a public elementary school in Rock Hill, South Carolina, serving 558 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the York 03 School District, which is ranked 29 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Independence Elementary has a relatively high per-student spending of $12,830, the school faces several challenges. It has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 20.0% to 24.7% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average and the rates of nearby schools like Oakdale Elementary (22.5%) and Cherry Park Elementary School of Language Immersion (22.5%). Additionally, the school's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally lower than the district and state averages.

Another area of concern is the uneven performance across different student subgroups at Independence Elementary. While the school performs relatively well for African American students, ranking in the top 35% of South Carolina elementary schools in this category, its performance for White students and students with disabilities is much lower, ranking in the bottom 40% and bottom 25% of the state, respectively. These disparities suggest that the school may need to implement more targeted interventions and support to help close achievement gaps.

583

Students ?

13.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,473

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

132 West Springdale Road
Rock Hill, SC 29730

(803) 981-1135

District: York 03

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Castle Heights Middle
High:	Rock Hill High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

42.2%

White:

27.3%

Hispanic:

17.0%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Independence Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 32nd percentile in 2022 → 48th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 48th (2025) from a 32nd-percentile low (2022)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school52%

District avg55%

South Carolina avg56%

336^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 12 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to bottom 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 14Elementary Schools in the York 03

29^th of 75York 03 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
2025	45.9	336 of 640	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.7	398 of 638	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.5	363 of 644	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.8	425 of 625	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	52.6	289 of 622	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.6	348 of 643	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.3	300 of 624	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	62.8	220 of 639	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.5	156 of 619	74.8%	★★★★☆
2015	56.1	257 of 638	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2014	62.4	245 of 630	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2013	57.7	279 of 599	53.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	62.1	238 of 594	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	55.9	284 of 597	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2010	56.8	269 of 589	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	53.9	289 of 580	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2008	52.6	303 of 577	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2007	48.2	329 of 566	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2006	43.5	360 of 559	35.6%	★★☆☆☆
2005	48.9	320 of 557	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2004	50.8	300 of 550	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2003	63.7	201 of 542	62.9%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	61.8	124 of 381	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.8	184 of 369	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.5	137 of 394	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.4	219 of 393	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	63.2	96 of 350	72.6%	★★★★☆
2019	57.0	160 of 421	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.2	72 of 412	82.5%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	52.2	68 of 174	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	21.3	130 of 151	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.7	144 of 189	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	68.3	31 of 161	80.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	40.8	345 of 581	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.2	369 of 565	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.2	353 of 580	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.2	390 of 573	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.6	278 of 554	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.2	283 of 588	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.2	288 of 570	49.5%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	41.9	351 of 613	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.1	380 of 599	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.5	296 of 608	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	37.1	386 of 600	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.3	267 of 580	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	37.4	398 of 600	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.8	275 of 588	53.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	47.8	305 of 586	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.3	364 of 568	35.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.9	328 of 582	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.2	405 of 579	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.1	244 of 561	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	35.3	392 of 590	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.9	294 of 571	48.5%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	45.5	272 of 460	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.2	375 of 441	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.4	348 of 463	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.5	329 of 455	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	57.4	192 of 439	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	36.4	322 of 472	31.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	31.4	332 of 457	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆

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)67th percentile+20 vs school

Disabled (2023)61st percentile+17 vs school

Male (2025)48th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)43rd percentile-5 vs school

White (2025)41st percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)41st percentile-7 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts58%-4 vs state

Mathematics48%-5 vs state

Science47%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Independence Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)			SC READY Mathematics (2025)			SC READY Science (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Independence Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	132 West Springdale Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1135	583	42	13.8		159 (27.3%)	246 (42.2%)	99 (17.0%)	13 (2.2%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (9.8%)	45.9	336^th of 640 public elementary schools	47.5%		37.7	398^th of 638 public elementary schools	37.6%	62	54.3	61.3	59.5	50.0	48.4	44.9	46.7	$14,473	$953	$956	$1,909	$11,122	$1,442	$12,564
Lesslie Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	250 Neely Store Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1910	461	32	14.4		240 (52.1%)	28 (6.1%)	40 (8.7%)	4 (0.9%)	45 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	104 (22.6%)	48.3	318^th of 640 public elementary schools	50.3%		56	277^th of 638 public elementary schools	56.6%	41	65.0	62.8	54.9	50.7	52.9	37.6	51.4	$15,100	$1,183	$862	$2,045	$11,750	$1,305	$13,055
Mount Holly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 Porter Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 985-1650	514	36	14.2		237 (46.1%)	172 (33.5%)	57 (11.1%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (8.0%)	53.7	283^rd of 640 public elementary schools	55.8%		56	276^th of 638 public elementary schools	56.7%	7	70.3	72.3	60.3	51.3	42.1	37.4	55.3	$14,991	$840	$863	$1,703	$11,767	$1,521	$13,288
Northside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	840 North Annafrel Street	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 981-1570	462	39	11.8		143 (31.0%)	216 (46.8%)	71 (15.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	28 (6.1%)	28.8	460^th of 640 public elementary schools	28.1%		27.2	463^rd of 638 public elementary schools	27.4%	3	51.3	50.6	49.2	47.5	37.0	39.1	34.5	$16,079	$1,330	$1,001	$2,331	$12,202	$1,546	$13,748
The Palmetto School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	386 East Black Street	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 328-6555	63	8	8.4		18 (28.6%)	36 (57.1%)	3 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.5%)								(n/a)								$24,274	$2,165	$2,152	$4,317	$15,967	$3,989	$19,957
Ebenezer Avenue Elementary: Traditional Montessori Inquiry	Public	PK, KG-5	242 Ebenezer Avenue	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1435	453	37	12.2		132 (29.1%)	220 (48.6%)	50 (11.0%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (9.9%)	51	304^th of 640 public elementary schools	52.5%		57.4	268^th of 638 public elementary schools	58.0%	36	60.9	63.2	68.5	62.3	39.7	43.8	39.7	$15,785	$637	$1,061	$1,698	$12,613	$1,474	$14,087
Oakdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1129 Oakdale Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 981-1585	487	36	13.5		106 (21.8%)	296 (60.8%)	37 (7.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	45 (9.2%)	58.7	264^th of 640 public elementary schools	58.8%		55.9	279^th of 638 public elementary schools	56.3%	15	68.2	67.9	57.0	56.9	60.3	38.7	61.5	$15,312	$1,111	$968	$2,079	$11,875	$1,357	$13,232
Cherry Park Elementary School of Language Immersion	Public	K-5	1835 Eden Terrace	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 985-2255	806	47	17.3		369 (45.8%)	172 (21.3%)	186 (23.1%)	11 (1.4%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (7.6%)	88.7	57^th of 640 public elementary schools	91.1%		90.2	49^th of 638 public elementary schools	92.3%	8	90.1	82.6	87.1	84.4	65.9	64.5	62.1	$12,583	$428	$823	$1,252	$10,042	$1,289	$11,331
Sunset Park Center for Accelerated Studies	Public	PK, KG-5	1036 Ogden Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1260	431	32	13.4		64 (14.8%)	307 (71.2%)	33 (7.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.6%)	43.2	355^th of 640 public elementary schools	44.5%		51	306^th of 638 public elementary schools	52.0%	49	68.3	63.4	62.0	52.3	26.8	45.6	32.9	$15,207	$1,134	$1,017	$2,152	$11,473	$1,582	$13,056
Richmond Drive Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1162 Richmond Drive	Rock Hill	29732	York County	York 03	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 981-1930	467	39	11.9		53 (11.3%)	231 (49.5%)	144 (30.8%)	19 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.3%)	7.9	618^th of 640 public elementary schools	3.4%		16.3	544^th of 638 public elementary schools	14.7%	74	35.1	35.0	37.0	32.5	23.8	17.8	22.6	$15,283	$1,288	$991	$2,280	$11,682	$1,321	$13,003

Frequently Asked Questions about Independence Elementary

What district is Independence Elementary in?

York 03

What is the racial makeup of Independence Elementary?

Students at Independence Elementary are 42% African American, 27% White, 17% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 2% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Independence Elementary attend?

Students who attend Independence Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Castle Heights Middle
High : Rock Hill High

Is Independence Elementary a good school?

Independence Elementary ranks 336^th of 640 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Independence Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 583 students attended Independence Elementary.

Rate Independence Elementary!

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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.