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Pleasant Knoll Elementary

Public Grades K-5

60^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 91% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Pleasant Knoll Elementary is a K-5 school in Fort Mill, SC, serving 774 students as part of the top-ranked York 04 district, which holds a 5-star rating and ranks #1 out of 75 districts statewide.

This is a high-performing school that consistently lands in the top 10% of elementary schools in South Carolina, currently ranking 60th out of 649 schools. The school truly shines in several specific areas. Its support for English Language Learners is exceptional—ranking 2nd and 3rd in the entire state in recent years—and it also does outstanding work with gifted students (4th in the state) and students with disabilities (7th in the state). Attendance is a major strength, with only 5.9% chronic absenteeism versus 22.3% statewide, and the student-to-teacher ratio of 12.7:1 allows for meaningful individualized attention. Science scores have also jumped 10 points in the past year, now beating both district and state averages. However, there are a few areas worth noting. The school's overall state ranking has slipped from its peak of 17th a decade ago, and 5th grade math proficiency consistently trails 3rd and 4th grade by about 10 points. There's also a widening gap between female and male student performance, and the school struggles more with students from low-income backgrounds, ranking in the 58th-62nd percentile for that subgroup. When compared to nearby schools, River Trail Elementary (ranked 11th) and Kings Town Elementary (ranked 9th) outperform Pleasant Knoll, while Gold Hill Elementary (ranked 43rd), just 1.37 miles away, also edges it out.

Overall, Pleasant Knoll remains a strong, well-rounded school with excellent attendance, efficient spending ($13,580 per student), and standout support for several student groups. It's a school that serves its community well, though families may want to ask about the 5th grade math dip and how the school plans to address the recent ranking decline and support for all learners.

774

Students ?

12.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,580

Per pupil spending ?

14.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2346 Pleasant Road
Fort Mill, SC 29708

(803) 835-0090

District: York 04

Students who attend Pleasant Knoll Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Pleasant Knoll Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

51.8%

Asian:

20.4%

Hispanic:

10.9%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Pleasant Knoll Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 97th percentile in 2016 → 91st in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (77% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 9% of South Carolina elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school77%

District avg78%

South Carolina avg58%

60^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 9%▼ down 6 pts since 2016

From top 3% (2016) to top 9% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 11Elementary Schools in the York 04

1^st of 75York 04 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	88.9	60 of 649	90.8%	★★★★★
2025	90.2	48 of 640	92.5%	★★★★★
2024	94.4	25 of 638	96.1%	★★★★★
2023	95.0	22 of 644	96.6%	★★★★★
2022	93.7	37 of 625	94.1%	★★★★★
2021	94.4	29 of 622	95.3%	★★★★★
2019	87.2	66 of 643	89.7%	★★★★☆
2018	92.9	37 of 624	94.1%	★★★★★
2017	94.6	21 of 639	96.7%	★★★★★
2016	94.1	17 of 619	97.3%	★★★★★
2015	95.9	11 of 638	98.3%	★★★★★
2014	92.0	9 of 630	98.6%	★★★★★
2013	92.1	7 of 599	98.8%	★★★★★
2012	93.9	3 of 594	99.5%	★★★★★
2011	91.7	14 of 597	97.7%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	70.1	3 of 8	62.5%	★★★★☆
2024	75.2	2 of 7	71.4%	★★★★☆
2023	79.5	2 of 7	71.4%	★★★★☆
2022	69.2	2 of 6	66.7%	★★★★☆
2021	72.6	1 of 3	66.7%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	62.7	44 of 147	70.1%	★★★★☆
2024	91.3	7 of 143	95.1%	★★★★★
2023	96.3	6 of 174	96.6%	★★★★★
2018	72.9	24 of 161	85.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2022	97.0	3 of 84	96.4%	★★★★★
2021	99.4	2 of 84	97.6%	★★★★★
2019	81.5	15 of 104	85.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	89.8	40 of 589	93.2%	★★★★★
2025	88.9	40 of 581	93.1%	★★★★★
2024	93.4	20 of 565	96.5%	★★★★★
2023	94.5	15 of 580	97.4%	★★★★★
2022	94.8	21 of 573	96.3%	★★★★★
2021	93.9	27 of 554	95.1%	★★★★★
2019	88.5	50 of 588	91.5%	★★★★★
2018	92.4	31 of 570	94.6%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	71.3	18 of 101	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	76.4	4 of 82	95.1%	★★★★★
2022	73.9	12 of 109	89.0%	★★★★☆
2021	71.4	38 of 147	74.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	73.5	26 of 116	77.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	59.8	240 of 624	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.5	258 of 613	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.4	236 of 599	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	79.6	92 of 608	84.9%	★★★★☆
2022	61.6	219 of 600	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.3	280 of 600	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	81.3	77 of 588	86.9%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	85.0	75 of 583	87.1%	★★★★☆
2025	88.7	48 of 586	91.8%	★★★★★
2024	93.4	30 of 568	94.7%	★★★★★
2023	93.8	25 of 582	95.7%	★★★★★
2022	90.4	46 of 579	92.1%	★★★★★
2021	93.3	31 of 561	94.5%	★★★★★
2019	82.6	85 of 590	85.6%	★★★★☆
2018	91.4	35 of 571	93.9%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	74.9	105 of 454	76.9%	★★★★☆
2025	70.0	132 of 460	71.3%	★★★★☆
2024	80.4	66 of 441	85.0%	★★★★☆
2023	83.0	56 of 463	87.9%	★★★★☆
2022	84.4	57 of 455	87.5%	★★★★☆
2021	79.5	73 of 439	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	77.3	85 of 472	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	82.6	66 of 457	85.6%	★★★★☆

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)

English Language Learner (2022)96th percentile~ school

Female (2026)93rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)87th percentile-4 vs school

Gifted and Talented (2025)82nd percentile-10 vs school

Hispanic (2019)78th percentile-12 vs school

White (2026)77th percentile-14 vs school

Disabled (2025)70th percentile-22 vs school

Asian (2025)62nd percentile-30 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)62nd percentile-29 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts81%+16 vs state

Science76%+25 vs state

Mathematics73%+20 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, July 14, 2011

I have a rising 2nd grader who has been at Pleasant Knoll since kindergarten. I can not say enough great things about this school! The teachers we have been assigned have been very enthusiastic, creative and caring. They seem excited about teaching and passionate about their kids actually learning. They were also really good at communicating with us as parents. I am involved in the PTO and other teachers and staff that I have encountered have been great as well. I believe the school is so great because of a top-down expectation of excellence from everyone. The Principal, Mr. Travis Howard, sets the tone for the entire school -- teachers, staff, students and parents included.

There are a couple of small disappointments. The school is situated on a somewhat small patch of land, which has not allowed for a big field for events such as field day and school fairs. We do hold events at nearby Gold Hill ES/MS so our kids are not missing out. It would just be nice to have these events at our own school. Secondly, the Assistant Principal from the first two years, Mr. Peter Olinger, has accepted a Principalship at Springfield Elementary. He and Mr. Howard worked really well together. From a parents point of view, they we kind of yin and yang -- one very high energy and one really low key and laid back, both really fine educators. While I am happy for him, I am selfishly sad to see Mr. Olinger leave. Finally, I wish there were more parents involved in the PTO. We have a really dynamic group of moms and dads working to make our school the best it can be, but we could always use more heads and hands. I don't think that's any different from any school or organization.

I have a 5 year old entering kindergarten at PKES this fall. I am so excited for him that he gets to go to such a fantastic school! Close Quote

Schools Near Pleasant Knoll 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 (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 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
Pleasant Knoll Elementary	Public	K-5	2346 Pleasant Road	Fort Mill	29708	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 835-0090	774	61	12.7	14.9%	401 (51.8%)	67 (8.7%)	84 (10.9%)	158 (20.4%)	5 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	58 (7.5%)	88.9	60^th of 649 public elementary schools	90.8%		90.2	48^th of 640 public elementary schools	92.5%	12	75.8	84.1	81.0	77.9	76.1	66.6	76.1	$13,580	$356	$318	$675	$11,632	$1,273	$12,906
Gold Hill Elementary	Public	K-5	1000 Dave Gibson Boulevard	Tega Cay	29708	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 548-8250	815	65	12.5	18.9%	290 (35.6%)	83 (10.2%)	103 (12.6%)	270 (33.1%)	5 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (7.9%)	90.7	43^rd of 649 public elementary schools	93.4%		95.8	18^th of 640 public elementary schools	97.2%	25	86.5	85.5	86.0	79.2	67.7	72.7	70.9	$12,207	$474	$319	$793	$10,152	$1,262	$11,414
Orchard Park Elementary	Public	K-5	474 Third Baxter Street	Fort Mill	29708	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 548-8170	555	50	11.2	12.7%	429 (77.3%)	29 (5.2%)	53 (9.5%)	10 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	33 (5.9%)	94.1	27^th of 649 public elementary schools	95.8%		85.1	83^rd of 640 public elementary schools	87.0%	56	90.3	87.0	80.4	84.7	80.2	77.9	81.2	$15,111	$712	$346	$1,058	$12,570	$1,484	$14,053
Flint Hill Elementary School	Public	K-5	392 Gold Hill Road	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(803) 396-1041	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Tega Cay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2185 Gold Hill Road	Tega Cay	29708	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 548-8282	743	56	13.3	15.0%	467 (62.9%)	29 (3.9%)	63 (8.5%)	126 (17.0%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (7.0%)	93.5	29^th of 649 public elementary schools	95.5%		95.4	19^th of 640 public elementary schools	97.0%	10	81.2	90.8	85.8	75.8	87.2	79.7	83.5	$13,040	$353	$366	$718	$11,003	$1,318	$12,321
Springfield Elementary	Public	K-5	1691 Springfield Parkway	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 584-8150	798	65	12.2	33.7%	367 (46.0%)	91 (11.4%)	106 (13.3%)	178 (22.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (6.8%)	87.6	69^th of 649 public elementary schools	89.4%		91.5	39^th of 640 public elementary schools	93.9%	30	81.5	75.6	80.8	77.2	68.6	72.5	73.2	$12,284	$374	$355	$729	$10,316	$1,239	$11,555
Sugar Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1599 Farm House Road	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 835-0150	755	66	11.4	39.2%	287 (38.0%)	80 (10.6%)	196 (26.0%)	129 (17.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (8.3%)	84.3	92^nd of 649 public elementary schools	85.8%		78.8	129^th of 640 public elementary schools	79.8%	37	73.3	80.4	77.3	73.3	78.3	57.7	76.3	$14,905	$967	$463	$1,431	$12,167	$1,308	$13,475
Kings Town Elementary	Public	K-5	1774 Mason Bend Drive	Fort Mill	29708	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 396-3400	809	65	12.5	16.8%	527 (65.1%)	68 (8.4%)	70 (8.7%)	87 (10.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (6.9%)	96.8	9^th of 649 public elementary schools	98.6%		92.6	34^th of 640 public elementary schools	94.7%	25	89.8	94.5	88.9	86.1	92.5	84.6	80.2	$13,184	$385	$338	$723	$11,046	$1,415	$12,461
Riverview Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 Spratt Street	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 548-4677	711	65	11.0	45.2%	364 (51.2%)	95 (13.4%)	98 (13.8%)	86 (12.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (9.1%)	77.4	137^th of 649 public elementary schools	78.9%		82.9	95^th of 640 public elementary schools	85.2%	42	71.6	76.6	71.7	71.5	67.2	66.6	57.0	$16,907	$1,454	$496	$1,951	$13,327	$1,629	$14,956
Fort Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	192 Springfield Parkway	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 547-7546	729	58	12.5	36.2%	389 (53.4%)	123 (16.9%)	102 (14.0%)	54 (7.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (8.0%)	69.8	191^st of 649 public elementary schools	70.6%		69.4	199^th of 640 public elementary schools	68.9%	8	66.6	73.0	75.5	63.5	62.7	51.9	57.4	$14,786	$650	$397	$1,047	$12,424	$1,315	$13,739

Frequently Asked Questions about Pleasant Knoll Elementary

Is Pleasant Knoll Elementary a good school?

Yes. Pleasant Knoll Elementary ranks in the top 9.2% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What district is Pleasant Knoll Elementary in?

York 04

What schools do graduates of Pleasant Knoll Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pleasant Knoll Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pleasant Knoll Middle

How many students attend Pleasant Knoll Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 774 students attended Pleasant Knoll Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Pleasant Knoll Elementary?

Students at Pleasant Knoll Elementary are 52% White, 20% Asian, 11% Hispanic, 9% African American, 7% Two or more races.

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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.