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Pocalla Springs Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

592^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 10% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Pocalla Springs Elementary in Sumter, SC, serves 609 students from Pre-K through 5th grade and is part of the Sumter 01 school district, which faces significant challenges district-wide.

Pocalla Springs has consistently ranked in the bottom quartile of South Carolina elementary schools, earning a 1-star rating in the 2025-2026 school year. One of the most pressing concerns is chronic absenteeism, which has risen dramatically from 11.2% in 2020-2021 to 38.6% in 2024-2025—nearly double the state average of 22.3%. This attendance crisis likely contributes to another troubling pattern: math proficiency drops sharply as students advance. While 40.4% of 3rd graders are proficient in math, that number falls to just 20.8% by 5th grade—a nearly 50% decline. Science proficiency is also a significant weakness, with only 23.7% of 4th graders meeting state standards compared to 51.6% statewide. On a more positive note, English Language Arts has shown modest improvement, with 3rd grade proficiency rising from 37.5% to 46% over the past few years.

The contrast with nearby schools is striking. Alice Drive Elementary, just 6.5 miles away, ranks in the 81st percentile statewide and achieves 65.4% proficiency in 5th grade math versus Pocalla Springs' 20.8%. Similarly, Liberty STEAM Charter School, serving a similar population, achieves 44% proficiency in 5th grade math and has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 15.2%. While Pocalla Springs maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.8:1 and per-student spending has increased 34% over two years to $15,138, these investments haven't yet translated into improved outcomes. The success of nearby schools demonstrates that improvement is possible, and targeted efforts in math instruction, attendance, and science could help reverse the current trajectory.

609

Students ?

15.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,138

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2060 Bethel Church Road
Sumter, SC 29154

(803) 481-5800

District: Sumter 01

Students who attend Pocalla Springs Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Furman Middle
High:	Lakewood High

Racial breakdown:

African American:

52.5%

White:

35.1%

Two or more races:

6.1%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Pocalla Springs Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 13th percentile in 2016 → 10th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (37% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (10th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (39% vs 22% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg44%

South Carolina avg58%

592^nd of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 10%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

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
2026	14.5	592 of 661	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.6	516 of 639	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.3	535 of 643	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	486 of 644	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.7	511 of 625	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	10.8	570 of 622	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	15.5	567 of 643	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.7	556 of 624	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	19.2	549 of 639	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	18.4	537 of 619	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.7	490 of 638	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	37.2	434 of 630	31.1%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	21.8	339 of 384	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	32.9	274 of 380	27.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.9	319 of 369	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.4	328 of 394	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.7	322 of 393	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.8	327 of 350	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.9	375 of 421	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	24.6	356 of 412	13.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2019	17.4	171 of 189	9.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.9	139 of 161	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	14.8	537 of 599	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	18.3	500 of 580	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	490 of 568	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.7	472 of 580	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.8	468 of 573	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	9.3	524 of 554	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	12.2	540 of 588	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	13.2	521 of 570	8.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	18.8	559 of 634	11.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	26.8	475 of 612	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.2	498 of 602	17.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.6	483 of 608	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.2	488 of 600	18.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.9	546 of 580	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.8	526 of 600	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.8	544 of 588	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	16.5	515 of 591	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.6	455 of 585	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.5	471 of 571	17.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.8	432 of 582	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.4	478 of 579	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.8	507 of 561	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.2	499 of 590	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.4	507 of 571	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	13.6	418 of 463	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	22.9	376 of 459	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	395 of 446	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.3	361 of 463	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.3	399 of 455	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	3.1	435 of 439	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.0	451 of 472	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.2	450 of 457	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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 (2026)13th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)12th percentile~ school

African American (2026)12th percentile~ school

Female (2026)10th percentile~ school

White (2026)10th percentile~ school

Disabled (2019)10th percentile~ school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts47%-17 vs state

Mathematics30%-23 vs state

Science24%-28 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Thursday, March 2, 2017

My child is in the 5th grade and has attended this school since k5. Great teachers and staff. Overall great school. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, January 18, 2017

This school is great to me because of the love, care and time Ms. Lee has taken with my child. She should be awarded teacher of the year for the dedication and professionalism she demonstrates. She strives to ensure that each and every child in her charge is able to grasp the lesson for the day. She also ensures that each child is well fed, even at her own personal expense and attends to their emotional well being. My classroom observation has given me a greater respect and admiration for her. Every educator would do well to model themselves after her.

Bravo Ms. Lee Close Quote

Schools Near Pocalla Springs 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Manchester Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 East Clark Street	Pinewood	29125	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 452-5454	378	25	14.8	100.0%	148 (39.2%)	172 (45.5%)	20 (5.3%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	32 (8.5%)	16.3	574^th of 661 public elementary schools	13.2%		19.1	534^th of 639 public elementary schools	16.4%	40	49.1	47.2	27.2	49.1	28.3	16.3	35.8	$16,529	$2,194	$1,501	$3,695	$11,733	$1,102	$12,834

Frequently Asked Questions about Pocalla Springs Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Pocalla Springs Elementary?

Students at Pocalla Springs Elementary are 53% African American, 35% White, 6% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic.

What district is Pocalla Springs Elementary in?

Sumter 01

Is Pocalla Springs Elementary a good school?

Pocalla Springs Elementary ranks in the bottom 10.4% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Pocalla Springs Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pocalla Springs Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Furman Middle
High : Lakewood High

How many students attend Pocalla Springs Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 609 students attended Pocalla Springs Elementary.

Rate Pocalla Springs Elementary!

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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.