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Willow Drive Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

526^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Willow Drive Elementary is a PK-5 public school in Sumter, SC, serving 504 students as part of the Sumter 01 school district.

Willow Drive has seen a long-term decline in its statewide ranking over the past decade, though the most recent year shows signs of a turnaround. The school's most urgent challenge is a severe chronic absenteeism crisis—52.8% of students were chronically absent in 2024-2025, nearly double the previous year and more than double the state average. This is the highest rate among all comparable schools in the area, including Lemira Elementary (45.1%). Academically, the school shows a concerning "fade-out" pattern: 3rd graders perform above district averages in both ELA (60.3% proficient) and math (52.9%), but by 5th grade, proficiency drops dramatically—especially in math, where only 7.2% of students are proficient compared to the district's 28.9%. This suggests strong early-grade instruction that isn't carrying through to upper grades, possibly due to the absenteeism crisis undermining learning continuity.

There are bright spots worth noting. The school has shown remarkable improvement in serving its African American students, jumping from the 14th to 41st percentile statewide in one year. The most recent data also shows overall improvement, with the school climbing from the 11th to 20th percentile. However, nearby Alice Drive Elementary—just over a mile away with similar demographics—ranks in the 81st percentile, proving that strong results are achievable in this community. Willow Drive actually spends more per student ($15,286) than Alice Drive ($14,710), suggesting that funding alone isn't the answer. The school's leadership must prioritize solving the absenteeism crisis as the first step toward sustainable improvement, while also investigating why student performance declines so sharply between 3rd and 5th grade.

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 → 20th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 20th (2026) from a 2nd-percentile low (2021)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (39% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school39%

District avg44%

South Carolina avg58%

526^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▼ down 10 pts since 2016

From bottom 31% (2016) to bottom 20% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^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
2026	21.6	526 of 661	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	14.6	566 of 639	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.9	593 of 643	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
2026	41.2	226 of 384	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.1	325 of 380	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.7	326 of 369	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	21.0	502 of 599	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	9.8	550 of 580	5.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.2	543 of 568	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
2026	29.4	469 of 634	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.9	539 of 612	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	14.7	549 of 602	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	21.8	468 of 591	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.8	489 of 585	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.5	513 of 571	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)

African American (2026)41st percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)26th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2026)21st percentile~ school

Female (2026)16th percentile-4 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts49%-15 vs state

Science35%-16 vs state

Mathematics31%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Willow Drive 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
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	100.0%	60 (11.9%)	388 (77.0%)	37 (7.3%)	9 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.6%)	21.6	526^th of 661 public elementary schools	20.4%		14.6	566^th of 639 public elementary schools	11.4%	40	60.3	46.4	39.3	52.9	28.1	7.2	35.4	$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	100.0%	226 (42.6%)	232 (43.8%)	36 (6.8%)	20 (3.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.6%)	79.6	127^th of 661 public elementary schools	80.8%		78	133^rd of 639 public elementary schools	79.2%	6	67.4	75.5	74.0	68.6	70.0	65.4	74.4	$14,710	$1,941	$1,061	$3,002	$10,738	$969	$11,707
Liberty STEAM Charter School	Public, Charter	K-5	15 Church Street	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 830-5966	730	53	13.8	73.5%	278 (38.1%)	365 (50.0%)	31 (4.2%)	6 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (6.4%)	50.4	313^th of 661 public elementary schools	52.6%		54	282^nd of 639 public elementary schools	55.9%	31	64.7	64.2	62.6	50.0	49.7	44.0	53.7	$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	100.0%	11 (2.3%)	417 (86.7%)	41 (8.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.1%)	11.8	613^th of 661 public elementary schools	7.3%		7.2	622^nd of 639 public elementary schools	2.7%	9	40.3	42.7	47.3	33.9	25.8	27.2	26.9	$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	100.0%	209 (34.7%)	318 (52.8%)	35 (5.8%)	14 (2.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.7%)	39.7	402^nd of 661 public elementary schools	39.2%		45.2	339^th of 639 public elementary schools	46.9%	63	61.1	54.9	60.1	54.6	45.0	31.3	47.7	$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	100.0%	9 (2.6%)	287 (83.9%)	31 (9.1%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.5%)	10.7	621^st of 661 public elementary schools	6.1%		11.2	593^rd of 639 public elementary schools	7.2%	28	30.6	46.0	43.1	32.7	28.0	23.5	28.0	$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	100.0%	63 (21.1%)	211 (70.6%)	12 (4.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	10 (3.3%)	32.9	439^th of 661 public elementary schools	33.6%		29.8	451^st of 639 public elementary schools	29.4%	12	56.1	52.3	57.7	52.6	38.7	37.8	36.4	$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	100.0%	133 (25.9%)	336 (65.4%)	17 (3.3%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.5%)	28.8	471^st of 661 public elementary schools	28.7%		25.3	488^th of 639 public elementary schools	23.6%	17	52.1	60.0	51.4	44.9	38.7	24.2	44.0	$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	100.0%	88 (18.4%)	339 (71.1%)	35 (7.3%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.9%)	9.9	633^rd of 661 public elementary schools	4.2%		9.3	605^th of 639 public elementary schools	5.3%	28	40.0	44.2	29.8	40.0	26.4	12.3	29.4	$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	100.0%	214 (35.1%)	320 (52.5%)	35 (5.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.1%)	14.5	592^nd of 661 public elementary schools	10.4%		21.6	516^th of 639 public elementary schools	19.2%	76	46.0	49.4	46.8	40.4	28.8	20.8	23.7	$15,138	$1,924	$1,512	$3,436	$10,040	$1,663	$11,702

Frequently Asked Questions about Willow Drive Elementary

How many students attend Willow Drive Elementary?

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

What district is Willow Drive Elementary in?

Sumter 01

Is Willow Drive Elementary a good school?

Willow Drive Elementary ranks in the bottom 20.4% 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 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.

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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.