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Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Q: Is Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy a good school?

Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy ranks in the bottom 3.4% of South Carolina middle schools.

Q: How many students attend Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 216 students attended Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?

Students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy are 49% White, 41% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

Public, Charter Grades 2-8

309^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 320 South Carolina Middle Schools

Better than 3% of South Carolina middle schools

Summary

Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy is a public charter middle school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving 198 students in grades 2 to 8. The school is part of the School Public Charter School District, which is ranked 30 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Despite its charter status, Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing middle schools in South Carolina, with rankings between 309-316 out of 320-325 schools over the past three years. The school's performance on state assessments (SC READY) is significantly below the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. This is particularly concerning for certain student subgroups, such as female and male students, as well as white students and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, all of whom perform poorly compared to their peers at nearby middle schools like Longleaf Middle, Northside Middle, and Hand Middle.

Additionally, Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 20.4% to 24.7% over the past three school years, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 25.84% to 37.66% over the same period. While the school's spending per student, at $14,432, is higher than the state average, it is lower than some of the nearby schools, such as Heyward Gibbes Middle ($25,495 per student) and W. A. Perry Middle ($25,907 per student).

216

Students ?

9.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,348

Per pupil spending ?

34.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6015 N Main Street
Columbia, SC 29203

(803) 900-0664

District: School Public Charter School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.1%

African American:

41.2%

Two or more races:

4.6%

See top rated South Carolina middle schools

Compare Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 3rd percentile in 2023 → 3rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 9 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (15% vs 51% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!Mathematics scores 42 pts below the South Carolina average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school15%

District avg48%

South Carolina avg51%

Elementary school

640^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 3 pts since 2023

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

309^th of 320

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 3%▬ steady since 2023

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Middle Schools in the School Public Charter School District

30^th of 75School Public Charter School District 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	2.3	640 of 640	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.2	638 of 638	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	6.7	627 of 644	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	24.2	119 of 147	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.6	122 of 143	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.6	141 of 174	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	38.0	96 of 151	36.4%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	6.8	561 of 580	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	1.6	613 of 613	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.9	608 of 608	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	2.2	585 of 586	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	0.5	568 of 568	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.6	536 of 582	7.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.7	532 of 579	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	1.1	462 of 463	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	1.3	454 of 455	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	8.5	309 of 320	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.8	316 of 325	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.1	315 of 325	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	52.6	65 of 177	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.2	138 of 187	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	66.4	33 of 183	82.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	6.8	294 of 299	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	2.9	313 of 313	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	9.4	286 of 303	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.5	232 of 292	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	1.7	260 of 260	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Disabled (2025)19th percentile+19 vs school

Female (2023)3rd percentile~ school

White (2023)<1st percentile~ school

Male (2025)<1st percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)<1st percentile~ school

Middle school

Disabled (2024)63rd percentile+61 vs school

Male (2023)6th percentile+3 vs school

Female (2023)2nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)<1st percentile-3 vs school

White (2023)<1st percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts28%-32 vs state

Science14%-35 vs state

Mathematics2%-42 vs state

★

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Schools Near Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				SC READY English Language Arts (2025)						SC READY Mathematics (2025)						SC READY Science (2025)		EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (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 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	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	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
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy	Public, Charter	2-8	6015 N Main Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 900-0664	216	23	9.3		106 (49.1%)	89 (41.2%)	9 (4.2%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.6%)	8.5	309^th of 320 public middle schools	3.4%		8.8	316^th of 325 public middle schools	2.8%	7	14.8	20.5	30.3	28.5	35.5	42.3	0.0	0.0	3.0	3.6	0.0	7.7	11.4	17.8		$16,348	$1,802	$163	$1,965	$11,174	$3,208	$14,383
Alcorn Middle	Public	6-8	5125 Fairfield Road	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3439	381	31	12.4		11 (2.9%)	295 (77.4%)	55 (14.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	6.4	316^th of 320 public middle schools	1.3%		7.7	319^th of 325 public middle schools	1.8%	3				25.8	29.1	22.8				9.2	10.3	7.3		15.5		$22,494	$2,572	$1,551	$4,123	$15,467	$2,904	$18,371
W. G. Sanders Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	3455 Pine Belt Road	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 735-7575	503	54	9.3		59 (11.7%)	376 (74.8%)	46 (9.1%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.8%)	31.9	221^st of 320 public middle schools	30.9%		40	185^th of 325 public middle schools	43.1%	36				44.3	37.5	56.2				23.6	18.2	29.4		37.2	100.0	$20,208	$1,375	$1,201	$2,576	$14,996	$2,637	$17,633
W. A. Perry Middle	Public	6-8	2600 Barhamville Road	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 256-6347	320	32	10.0		2 (0.6%)	289 (90.3%)	11 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.6%)	13.4	288^th of 320 public middle schools	10.0%		16.8	276^th of 325 public middle schools	15.1%	12				34.8	46.8	34.7				10.2	12.6	9.1		22.0	90.5	$30,818	$3,082	$2,054	$5,136	$19,110	$6,573	$25,683
Heyward Gibbes Middle	Public	6-8	500 Summerlea Drive	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 343-2942	252	26	9.8		4 (1.6%)	227 (90.1%)	13 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.2%)	11.9	295^th of 320 public middle schools	7.8%		11.4	301^st of 325 public middle schools	7.4%	6				38.4	40.3	33.3				11.5	10.5	3.9		27.0		$28,273	$2,597	$1,973	$4,569	$19,307	$4,397	$23,704
Dent Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2721 Decker Boulevard	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2750	1,059	83	12.7		185 (17.5%)	566 (53.4%)	186 (17.6%)	67 (6.3%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (4.4%)	40.7	186^th of 320 public middle schools	41.9%		43.8	168^th of 325 public middle schools	48.3%	18				48.2	47.5	42.5				36.2	31.2	28.6		46.2	100.0	$15,232	$1,039	$661	$1,699	$11,035	$2,497	$13,532
Crayton Middle	Public	6-8	5000 Clemson Avenue	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 738-7224	952	68	14.0		469 (49.3%)	330 (34.7%)	70 (7.4%)	17 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	64 (6.7%)	82.3	51^st of 320 public middle schools	84.1%		84.6	46^th of 325 public middle schools	85.8%	5				66.7	70.4	65.7				55.0	53.7	47.1		62.3	98.8	$17,291	$1,415	$1,114	$2,529	$12,672	$2,090	$14,761
Hand Middle	Public	6-8	2600 Wheat Street	Columbia	29205	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 343-2947	755	61	12.3		232 (30.7%)	388 (51.4%)	82 (10.9%)	7 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (5.8%)	49.1	150^th of 320 public middle schools	53.1%		52.2	141^st of 325 public middle schools	56.6%	9				56.8	56.5	55.8				31.2	30.5	35.7		38.0	98.3	$18,872	$1,401	$1,133	$2,534	$13,897	$2,441	$16,338
St. Andrews Middle	Public	6-8	1231 Bluefield Road	Columbia	29210	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 731-8910	627	58	10.8		17 (2.7%)	523 (83.4%)	46 (7.3%)	11 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (4.6%)	9.7	305^th of 320 public middle schools	4.7%		10.7	306^th of 325 public middle schools	5.8%	1				34.9	32.1	32.2				15.5	5.1	10.4		21.4		$18,051	$2,156	$1,651	$3,808	$11,942	$2,301	$14,244
Northside Middle	Public	6-8	157 Cougar Drive	West Columbia	29169	Lexington County	Lexington 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 739-4190	528	43	12.2		124 (23.5%)	129 (24.4%)	240 (45.5%)	10 (1.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.4%)	29.1	233^rd of 320 public middle schools	27.2%		22.1	252^nd of 325 public middle schools	22.5%	19				41.3	49.4	53.0				13.5	21.1	29.3		29.0	95.8	$16,360	$547	$1,527	$2,074	$11,997	$2,290	$14,286

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Is Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy a good school?

Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy ranks in the bottom 3.4% of South Carolina middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?

Students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy are 49% White, 41% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

What district is Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy in?

School Public Charter School District

How many students attend Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 216 students attended Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy.

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

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

2023–24 school spending dataAug 28, 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.