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River Trail Elementary

Public Grades K-5

11^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 98% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

River Trail Elementary in Fort Mill, SC, is a high-achieving K-5 school serving 704 students in the top-ranked York 04 district, which is rated #1 out of 75 districts in the state. The school has earned a 5-star rating and currently ranks 11th in South Carolina, placing it in the top 2% of all elementary schools in the state—a remarkable climb from 54th place just a few years ago.

What truly sets River Trail apart is its consistently exceptional academic performance. For the 2025-2026 school year, proficiency rates in English Language Arts range from 90.2% to 93.4%, and math scores range from 83.2% to 91.1%—roughly 25-30 percentage points above state averages and 10-15 points above district averages. The school also boasts an incredibly low chronic absenteeism rate of just 3.9%, compared to 8.5% for the district and 22.3% statewide, indicating strong family engagement and a positive school culture. When compared to nearby schools, River Trail outperforms most neighbors, including Gold Hill Elementary (ranked 43rd) and Doby's Bridge Elementary (ranked 39th), with only Kings Town Elementary (9th) ranking slightly higher. The contrast with schools in the neighboring York 03 district is even more striking—for example, 5th-grade math proficiency at River Trail is 83.2%, compared to just 40% at India Hook Elementary and 54.5% at Cherry Park Elementary.

One area for potential growth is science, where 4th-grade proficiency (75.6%) lags behind the stellar math and ELA scores, though it remains well above state averages. The school also demonstrates efficient resource use, spending $13,291 per student—less than several district peers like Sugar Creek Elementary ($14,905) and Orchard Park Elementary ($15,111)—while achieving superior outcomes. For parents seeking a school with proven academic excellence, strong attendance, and a track record of continuous improvement, River Trail Elementary is an outstanding choice.

704

Students ?

12.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,291

Per pupil spending ?

11.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1016 Fort Mill Parkway
Fort Mill, SC 29715

(803) 835-7555

District: York 04

Students who attend River Trail Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Banks Trail Middle
High:	Catawba Ridge High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.9%

Hispanic:

11.1%

African American:

7.7%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 91st percentile in 2021 → 98th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (88% vs 58% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 2% of South Carolina elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2021

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school88%

District avg78%

South Carolina avg58%

11^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 2%▲ up 7 pts since 2021

From top 9% (2021) to top 2% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd 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	96.6	11 of 649	98.3%	★★★★★
2025	96.9	8 of 640	98.8%	★★★★★
2024	94.6	24 of 638	96.2%	★★★★★
2023	90.5	54 of 644	91.6%	★★★★★
2022	91.4	47 of 625	92.5%	★★★★★
2021	90.4	53 of 622	91.5%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	96.0	11 of 589	98.1%	★★★★★
2025	97.0	6 of 581	99.0%	★★★★★
2024	93.5	19 of 565	96.6%	★★★★★
2023	89.0	54 of 580	90.7%	★★★★★
2022	91.1	46 of 573	92.0%	★★★★★
2021	88.5	54 of 554	90.3%	★★★★★

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	70.1	23 of 82	72.0%	★★★★☆
2021	54.6	100 of 147	32.0%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	95.9	11 of 583	98.1%	★★★★★
2025	95.4	14 of 586	97.6%	★★★★★
2024	94.1	25 of 568	95.6%	★★★★★
2023	88.7	54 of 582	90.7%	★★★★★
2022	89.0	53 of 579	90.8%	★★★★★
2021	87.1	62 of 561	88.9%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	91.0	17 of 454	96.3%	★★★★★
2025	90.4	21 of 460	95.4%	★★★★★
2024	84.1	48 of 441	89.1%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	120 of 463	74.1%	★★★★☆
2022	75.3	94 of 455	79.3%	★★★★☆
2021	75.9	94 of 439	78.6%	★★★★☆

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)

Female (2026)98th percentile~ school

Male (2026)98th percentile~ school

White (2026)96th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2024)72nd percentile-24 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts92%+27 vs state

Mathematics88%+34 vs state

Science76%+24 vs state

★

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Schools Near River Trail 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 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
River Trail Elementary	Public	K-5	1016 Fort Mill Parkway	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 835-7555	704	55	12.8		478 (67.9%)	54 (7.7%)	78 (11.1%)	44 (6.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (6.8%)	96.6	11^th of 649 public elementary schools	98.3%		96.9	8^th of 640 public elementary schools	98.8%	3	90.2	93.4	91.6	91.1	88.9	83.2	75.6	$13,291	$471	$344	$814	$11,092	$1,385	$12,476
Doby's Bridge Elementary	Public	K-5	1000 Dragon Way	Fort Mill	29715	York County	York 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 835-5200	794	60	13.2		525 (66.1%)	37 (4.7%)	68 (8.6%)	98 (12.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (8.2%)	91.5	39^th of 649 public elementary schools	94.0%		90.3	47^th of 640 public elementary schools	92.7%	8	81.9	80.9	83.4	83.6	82.2	78.3	69.7	$13,099	$417	$337	$753	$11,015	$1,331	$12,346
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		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		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
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		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
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		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
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%)	83.6	97^th of 649 public elementary schools	85.1%		88.7	57^th of 640 public elementary schools	91.1%	40	85.2	87.1	80.5	73.9	72.4	54.5	59.5	$12,583	$428	$823	$1,252	$10,042	$1,289	$11,331
India Hook Elementary	Public	K-5	2068 Yukon Drive	Rock Hill	29732	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 985-1600	495	37	13.3		256 (51.7%)	114 (23.0%)	63 (12.7%)	14 (2.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (9.1%)	61	243^rd of 649 public elementary schools	62.6%		72.4	182^nd of 640 public elementary schools	71.6%	61	64.2	73.8	60.0	58.5	69.1	40.0	63.1	$14,105	$194	$768	$962	$11,743	$1,400	$13,143
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		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
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		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

Frequently Asked Questions about River Trail Elementary

What schools do graduates of River Trail Elementary attend?

Students who attend River Trail Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Banks Trail Middle
High : Catawba Ridge High School

What district is River Trail Elementary in?

York 04

How many students attend River Trail Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 704 students attended River Trail Elementary.

Is River Trail Elementary a good school?

Yes! River Trail Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 11^th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of River Trail Elementary?

Students at River Trail Elementary are 68% White, 11% Hispanic, 8% African American, 7% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

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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.