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Willow Drive Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

567^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 640 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 11% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Willow Drive Elementary is a public elementary school in Sumter, South Carolina, serving 539 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Sumter 01 School District, which is ranked 67 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Willow Drive Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the district and state in standardized test scores, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics significantly lower than the averages across all grade levels. The school also has high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 22.5% to 38.4% over the past few years, which is much higher than the state average. Additionally, Willow Drive Elementary has a 100% free and reduced-price lunch rate, indicating that the student population comes from low-income households. As a result, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom 25% of elementary schools in South Carolina, with a ranking between 567 and 610 out of 640 schools in recent years.

When comparing Willow Drive Elementary to other nearby schools in the Sumter 01 district, it becomes clear that the school is underperforming. For instance, Alice Drive Elementary and Millwood Elementary have significantly higher academic proficiency rates and better overall rankings. Addressing the challenges faced by Willow Drive Elementary, such as improving instructional practices, supporting students' social-emotional needs, and engaging the community, will be crucial for the school and district to improve student outcomes.

504

Students ?

15.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,286

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

26 Willow Drive
Sumter, SC 29150

(803) 773-5796

District: Sumter 01

Students who attend Willow Drive Elementary usually attend:

High:

Sumter High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

77.0%

White:

11.9%

Hispanic:

7.3%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Willow Drive Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 2nd percentile in 2021 → 11th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 11th (2025) from a 2nd-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (33% vs 56% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (11th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (53% vs 22% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school33%

District avg42%

South Carolina avg56%

567^th of 640

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 11%▼ down 32 pts since 2015

From bottom 43% (2015) to bottom 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 13Elementary Schools in the Sumter 01

67^th of 75Sumter 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
2025	14.6	567 of 640	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.9	588 of 638	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	8.6	617 of 644	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.3	606 of 625	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	6.3	610 of 622	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.8	594 of 643	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	37.4	388 of 624	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.9	397 of 639	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	33.7	428 of 619	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	43.7	362 of 638	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	37.1	436 of 630	30.8%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	24.1	326 of 381	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.7	328 of 369	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.7	361 of 394	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.7	383 of 393	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.7	344 of 350	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	30.6	328 of 421	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	66.9	103 of 412	75.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	9.8	551 of 581	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.2	540 of 565	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	5.9	566 of 580	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.9	561 of 573	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	4.1	551 of 554	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.0	541 of 588	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	39.9	358 of 570	37.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	17.9	540 of 613	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.7	547 of 599	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.5	584 of 608	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.8	581 of 600	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	7.0	571 of 580	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.2	560 of 600	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	45.9	315 of 588	46.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	18.8	490 of 586	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	510 of 568	10.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.3	521 of 582	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	9.4	543 of 579	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	8.6	529 of 561	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.7	563 of 590	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	32.5	390 of 571	31.7%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)16th percentile+5 vs school

African American (2025)14th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)12th percentile~ school

Female (2025)5th percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2024-2025) ?

Science41%-8 vs state

English Language Arts39%-24 vs state

Mathematics26%-27 vs state

★

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Schools Near Willow Drive 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
Willow Drive Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	26 Willow Drive	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 773-5796	504	32	15.6		60 (11.9%)	388 (77.0%)	37 (7.3%)	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.6%)	14.6	567^th of 640 public elementary schools	11.4%		10.9	588^th of 638 public elementary schools	7.8%	21	41.7	46.3	26.7	31.9	20.9	23.3	41.2	$15,286	$1,802	$1,513	$3,315	$10,481	$1,490	$11,971
Alice Drive Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	251 Alice Drive	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 775-0857	530	36	14.6		226 (42.6%)	232 (43.8%)	36 (6.8%)	20 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.6%)	78	133^rd of 640 public elementary schools	79.2%		76.3	145^th of 638 public elementary schools	77.3%	12	68.3	70.3	73.5	68.3	75.7	54.0	73.0	$14,710	$1,941	$1,061	$3,002	$10,738	$969	$11,707
Liberty STEAM Charter School	Public, Charter	K-4	15 Church Street	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 830-5966	730	53	13.8		278 (38.1%)	365 (50.0%)	31 (4.2%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (6.4%)	54	282^nd of 640 public elementary schools	55.9%					(n/a)	61.4	63.5		62.8	53.8		39.4	$14,135	$675	$591	$1,266	$9,661	$3,208	$12,869
Crosswell Drive Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 Crosswell Drive	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 775-0679	481	29	16.4		11 (2.3%)	417 (86.7%)	41 (8.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	7.2	623^rd of 640 public elementary schools	2.7%		12.6	571^st of 638 public elementary schools	10.5%	52	32.3	33.9	34.2	28.8	32.1	19.5	16.1	$15,963	$2,373	$1,949	$4,322	$10,590	$1,051	$11,641
Millwood Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	24 Pinewood Road	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 775-0648	602	41	14.6		209 (34.7%)	318 (52.8%)	35 (5.8%)	14 (2.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.7%)	45.2	339^th of 640 public elementary schools	47.0%		49.8	321^st of 638 public elementary schools	49.7%	18	57.0	65.0	52.3	61.2	48.2	33.1	45.8	$13,098	$1,465	$1,235	$2,700	$9,054	$1,344	$10,398
Lemira Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	952 Fulton Street	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 775-0658	342	28	12.2		9 (2.6%)	287 (83.9%)	31 (9.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.5%)	11.2	594^th of 640 public elementary schools	7.2%		10.2	598^th of 638 public elementary schools	6.3%	4	33.4	36.4	22.8	39.2	34.5	10.5	33.3	$17,779	$2,027	$2,216	$4,243	$12,111	$1,425	$13,536
Wilder Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	975 South Main Street	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 773-5723	299	25	11.9		63 (21.1%)	211 (70.6%)	12 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.3%)	29.8	452^nd of 640 public elementary schools	29.4%		35.9	405^th of 638 public elementary schools	36.5%	47	51.2	41.3	49.0	48.7	34.7	51.0	32.6	$17,935	$2,472	$1,132	$3,604	$12,661	$1,670	$14,331
Kingsbury Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	825 Kingsbury Road	Sumter	29154	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 775-6244	514	38	13.5		133 (25.9%)	336 (65.4%)	17 (3.3%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.5%)	25.3	489^th of 640 public elementary schools	23.6%		15.8	548^th of 638 public elementary schools	14.1%	59	52.4	43.6	43.3	42.9	43.6	24.7	46.0	$15,547	$2,073	$1,197	$3,270	$10,947	$1,330	$12,277
Cherryvale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1420 Furman Drive	Sumter	29154	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 494-8200	477	31	15.2		88 (18.4%)	339 (71.1%)	35 (7.3%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	9.3	606^th of 640 public elementary schools	5.3%		4.9	631^st of 638 public elementary schools	1.1%	25	34.6	30.2	28.7	38.4	34.0	19.2	20.8	$16,391	$2,410	$1,427	$3,838	$10,497	$2,056	$12,553
Pocalla Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2060 Bethel Church Road	Sumter	29154	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 481-5800	609	39	15.8		214 (35.1%)	320 (52.5%)	35 (5.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.1%)	21.6	517^th of 640 public elementary schools	19.2%		19.3	529^th of 638 public elementary schools	17.1%	12	45.7	50.0	43.1	45.7	32.0	22.6	40.3	$15,138	$1,924	$1,512	$3,436	$10,040	$1,663	$11,702

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Drive Elementary

Is Willow Drive Elementary a good school?

Willow Drive Elementary ranks in the bottom 11.4% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Willow Drive Elementary attend?

Students who attend Willow Drive Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Sumter High School

What district is Willow Drive Elementary in?

Sumter 01

What is the racial makeup of Willow Drive Elementary?

Students at Willow Drive Elementary are 77% African American, 12% White, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Willow Drive Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 504 students attended Willow Drive Elementary.

Rate Willow Drive 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.