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Belton Preparatory Academy

Public, Charter Grades K-8

38^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 649 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 94% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Belton Preparatory Academy is a K-8 charter school in Belton, SC, serving 449 students under the Charter Institute at Erskine. This school has become a standout success story, earning a 5-star rating and ranking 38th out of 649 elementary schools statewide (94th percentile) for the 2025-2026 school year—a remarkable jump from 96th place the previous year.

What makes this achievement so impressive is the student body: over 77% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch, yet the school outperforms its district by 20 to 46 percentage points in nearly every subject and grade level. For example, 3rd grade ELA proficiency is 90% (compared to 57.1% district and 64.1% state averages), and 6th grade science hits 80% proficiency versus a 49.1% district average. The school is ranked 4th out of 624 schools statewide (99th percentile) specifically for its success with low socioeconomic status students—a testament to its effectiveness in closing achievement gaps. Both male and female students earn 5-star ratings, with boys showing a dramatic 107-position improvement in one year. When compared to nearby schools like Midway Elementary (ranked 70th) or Belton Elementary (ranked 175th), Belton Prep leads all of them in nearly every subject and grade level.

The school also delivers exceptional value, spending $11,222 per student in 2024-2025—less than many neighboring schools that spend up to $18,061—while maintaining a favorable 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio. The one area to watch is chronic absenteeism, which spiked to 12.8% in 2024-2025 (up from 4.0% the prior year), though this remains well below the state average of 22.3% and hasn't yet impacted academic outcomes. With its proven track record of lifting student achievement regardless of economic background, Belton Preparatory Academy stands as one of South Carolina's most effective and efficient schools.

449

Students ?

14.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,222

Per pupil spending ?

77.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

5901 Belton Highway
Belton, SC 29627

(864) 392-1173

District: Charter Institute at Erskine

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.6%

African American:

10.9%

Hispanic:

4.7%

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Compare Belton Preparatory Academy to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 91st percentile in 2023 → 94th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the South Carolina average (78% vs 55% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of South Carolina elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Charter Institute at Erskine

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school78%

District avg47%

South Carolina avg55%

Elementary school

38^th of 649

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 3 pts since 2023

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

18^th of 335

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Top 5%▲ up 10 pts since 2025

From top 15% (2025) to top 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 6Elementary Schools in the Charter Institute at Erskine

40^th of 75Charter Institute at Erskine 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
2026	91.6	38 of 649	94.1%	★★★★★
2025	82.9	96 of 640	85.0%	★★★★☆
2024	84.4	91 of 638	85.7%	★★★★☆
2023	90.3	57 of 644	91.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	88.3	47 of 589	92.0%	★★★★★
2025	83.4	74 of 581	87.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	97.0	4 of 624	99.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	90.3	36 of 583	93.8%	★★★★★
2025	74.3	143 of 586	75.6%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	84.4	49 of 454	89.2%	★★★★☆
2025	60.4	188 of 460	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.2	161 of 441	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	75.7	103 of 463	77.8%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	92.7	18 of 335	94.6%	★★★★★
2025	83.2	49 of 320	84.7%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2025	81.8	48 of 295	83.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	99.9	2 of 320	99.4%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	95.3	16 of 306	94.8%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	79.4	51 of 268	81.0%	★★★★☆
2025	63.8	85 of 257	66.9%	★★★☆☆

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

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)99th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)94th percentile~ school

Female (2026)92nd percentile~ school

White (2026)89th percentile-5 vs school

Middle school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)99th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)95th percentile~ school

Female (2025)84th percentile~ school

White (2026)81st percentile-14 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts85%+23 vs state

Mathematics76%+27 vs state

Science68%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Belton Preparatory 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 (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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th 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 Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th 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
Belton Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	5901 Belton Highway	Belton	29627	Anderson County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	No	No	Yes	(864) 392-1173	449	31	14.6		353 (78.6%)	49 (10.9%)	21 (4.7%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.7%)	91.6	38^th of 649 public elementary schools	94.1%		82.9	96^th of 640 public elementary schools	85.0%	58	90.0	80.3	91.8	79.6	78.3	87.1	72.7	79.6	71.1	52.1	58.2	80.0	$11,222	$227	$51	$278	$6,355	$4,589	$10,944
Marshall Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	218 Bannister Street	Belton	29627	Anderson County	Anderson 02	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 338-7611	459	29	15.8		289 (63.0%)	66 (14.4%)	52 (11.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (10.9%)								(n/a)													$18,061	$2,604	$1,004	$3,608	$12,488	$1,965	$14,453
Belton Elementary	Public	3-5	202 Watkins Street	Belton	29627	Anderson County	Anderson 02	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 338-7738	379	26	14.5		239 (63.1%)	65 (17.2%)	35 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (10.6%)	72.4	175^th of 649 public elementary schools	73.0%		72.1	183^rd of 640 public elementary schools	71.4%	8	68.0	71.6	69.0			74.2	60.4	60.6			58.4		$13,639	$2,178	$837	$3,014	$9,248	$1,377	$10,625
Nevitt Forest Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1401 Bolt Drive	Anderson	29621	Anderson County	Anderson 05	No	Yes	No	Yes	(864) 260-5190	530	37	14.5		79 (14.9%)	343 (64.7%)	50 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.9%)	37.8	408^th of 649 public elementary schools	37.1%		38.5	391^st of 640 public elementary schools	38.9%	17	55.9	58.7	64.0			52.0	39.7	32.6			44.4		$13,676	$1,525	$1,123	$2,647	$9,647	$1,382	$11,029
Calhoun Academy of the Arts	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1520 East Calhoun Street	Anderson	29621	Anderson County	Anderson 05	No	Yes	No	Yes	(864) 260-5090	424	33	12.8		150 (35.4%)	171 (40.3%)	57 (13.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (10.6%)	43.2	369^th of 649 public elementary schools	43.1%		36.2	406^th of 640 public elementary schools	36.6%	37	70.0	64.8	59.0			58.3	33.3	34.4			40.7		$15,568	$1,480	$1,162	$2,642	$11,124	$1,803	$12,927
Midway Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	1221 Harriett Circle	Anderson	29621	Anderson County	Anderson 05	No	Yes	No	No	(864) 716-3800	675	49	13.6		504 (74.7%)	82 (12.1%)	32 (4.7%)	18 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (5.8%)	87.5	70^th of 649 public elementary schools	89.2%		83.8	90^th of 640 public elementary schools	85.9%	20	84.0	81.4	77.1			78.0	73.5	63.6			71.7		$14,158	$2,199	$763	$2,961	$9,645	$1,552	$11,196
Wright Elementary	Public	K-5	1136 Wright School Road	Belton	29627	Anderson County	Anderson 02	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 296-1776	193	14	13.6		156 (80.8%)	7 (3.6%)	11 (5.7%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (8.3%)	73.3	167^th of 649 public elementary schools	74.3%		91.8	38^th of 640 public elementary schools	94.1%	129	53.2	79.1	80.0			68.1	65.1	80.0			60.4		$15,345	$2,582	$783	$3,366	$10,233	$1,746	$11,979
Cedar Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	107 Melvin Lane	Williamston	29697	Anderson County	Anderson 01	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 847-3500	596	43	13.9		459 (77.0%)	28 (4.7%)	75 (12.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.4%)	80.2	120^th of 649 public elementary schools	81.5%		73.4	179^th of 640 public elementary schools	72.0%	59	77.0	82.5	78.3			72.6	66.0	53.8			62.7		$11,395	$1,576	$527	$2,104	$8,172	$1,119	$9,291
Homeland Park Primary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-2	3519 Wilmont Street	Anderson	29624	Anderson County	Anderson 05	No	Yes	No	Yes	(864) 260-5125	397	29	13.9		96 (24.2%)	141 (35.5%)	132 (33.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.5%)								(n/a)													$14,526	$1,578	$1,270	$2,849	$10,140	$1,538	$11,677
Concord Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2701 Calrossie Road	Anderson	29621	Anderson County	Anderson 05	No	Yes	No	No	(864) 260-5105	615	40	15.4		349 (56.7%)	155 (25.2%)	49 (8.0%)	10 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.5%)	74.2	165^th of 649 public elementary schools	74.6%		79.9	117^th of 640 public elementary schools	81.7%	48	71.5	71.7	79.8			66.0	65.1	52.1			62.3		$12,971	$859	$824	$1,683	$9,997	$1,291	$11,289

Frequently Asked Questions about Belton Preparatory Academy

What district is Belton Preparatory Academy in?

Charter Institute at Erskine

What is the racial makeup of Belton Preparatory Academy?

Students at Belton Preparatory Academy are 79% White, 11% African American, 5% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Belton Preparatory Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 449 students attended Belton Preparatory Academy.

Is Belton Preparatory Academy a good school?

Yes. Belton Preparatory Academy ranks in the top 5.9% of South Carolina elementary schools.

Rate Belton Preparatory Academy!

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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.