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Mellichamp Elementary

Public Grades 3-5

654^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Mellichamp Elementary is a small upper-elementary school in Orangeburg, SC, serving 144 students in grades 3-5 within the Orangeburg school district.

Mellichamp has ranked in the bottom 1% of South Carolina elementary schools for four consecutive years, making it one of the lowest-performing schools in the state. In the 2025-2026 school year, its state ranking percentile was 1, compared to nearby schools like Brookdale Elementary (23rd percentile) and Whittaker Elementary (25th percentile). The academic gaps are stark—for example, only 11.1% of Mellichamp 5th graders were proficient in math, versus 46.4% at Brookdale and 44.5% at Whittaker. There is also a troubling pattern of decline as students progress: 3rd-grade ELA proficiency was 34.2%, but by 5th grade it drops to just 17.8%, suggesting students fall further behind as coursework becomes more complex.

One of the most striking findings is the spending paradox. Mellichamp spends $25,614 per student—nearly double what nearby schools like Marshall Elementary ($13,038) and Edisto Elementary ($14,392) spend—yet this high investment has not improved outcomes. In fact, rankings have worsened as spending increased. Chronic absenteeism is a critical challenge: 36.7% of students were chronically absent in 2024-2025, well above the state average of 22.3%. A nearby comparison is telling: Felton Laboratory Charter School, just 1.84 miles away, serves a similar demographic but ranks in the 32nd percentile with a 22.2% absenteeism rate. This suggests the challenges at Mellichamp are not insurmountable—other schools in the same community are achieving far better results with similar students.

144

Students ?

10.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$27,469

Per pupil spending ?

90.0%

Directly certified for free meals (2023-24) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2023-24)

350 Murray Road
Orangeburg, SC 29115

(803) 534-8044

District: Orangeburg

Racial breakdown:

African American:

85.4%

White:

6.3%

Hispanic:

6.3%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Mellichamp Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 5th percentile in 2022 → 1st in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (23% vs 58% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 21% South Carolina)

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school23%

District avg39%

South Carolina avg58%

654^th of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 4 pts since 2022

From bottom 5% (2022) to bottom 1% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

11^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Orangeburg

63^rd of 75Orangeburg 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	4.6	654 of 661	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.1	631 of 639	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	5.4	635 of 643	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.6	643 of 644	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.8	592 of 625	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.9	372 of 384	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.7	360 of 380	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.2	345 of 369	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	7.4	393 of 394	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	16.5	369 of 393	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	6.2	589 of 599	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	6.4	570 of 580	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.5	558 of 568	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.6	579 of 580	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	5.6	564 of 573	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	4.5	629 of 634	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.4	609 of 612	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	6.9	594 of 602	1.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.4	606 of 608	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.6	576 of 600	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	3.4	587 of 591	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	5.3	578 of 585	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	4.7	565 of 571	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.8	582 of 582	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	11.9	524 of 579	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)3rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)2nd percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)1st percentile~ school

Male (2026)1st percentile~ school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts31%-34 vs state

Science21%-30 vs state

Mathematics17%-37 vs state

★

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Schools Near Mellichamp 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 (2026)
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	Directly certified (2023-24)	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 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	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
Mellichamp Elementary	Public	3-5	350 Murray Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-8044	144	14	10.0	90.0%	9 (6.3%)	123 (85.4%)	9 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	4.6	654^th of 661 public elementary schools	1.1%		5.1	631^st of 639 public elementary schools	1.3%	23	34.2	40.4	17.8				15.8	23.4	11.1				21.3		$27,469	$4,834	$1,826	$6,660	$17,550	$3,259	$20,809
Felton Laboratory Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	115 Lance Street	Orangeburg	29116	Orangeburg County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 536-7034	279	13	20.8	—	2 (0.7%)	238 (85.3%)	9 (3.2%)	15 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.4%)	31.6	447^th of 661 public elementary schools	32.4%		31.3	438^th of 639 public elementary schools	31.5%	9	39.3	65.5	39.5	72.4	57.2	47.2	57.1	24.1	23.7		28.6	25.0	41.4	41.4	$15,846	$1,349	$1,000	$2,349	$9,395	$4,102	$13,497
Whittaker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	790 Whittaker Parkway	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-6559	325	21	15.4	86.7%	7 (2.2%)	289 (88.9%)	22 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	25.7	491^st of 661 public elementary schools	25.7%		21.1	522^nd of 639 public elementary schools	18.3%	31	50.0	51.1	51.1				40.0	37.8	44.5				33.4		$16,353	$1,796	$1,136	$2,932	$11,274	$2,147	$13,421
Brookdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	394 Brookdale Drive	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-5982	215	16	13.2	82.9%	6 (2.8%)	185 (86.0%)	18 (8.4%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	24.3	507^th of 661 public elementary schools	23.3%		21.6	517^th of 639 public elementary schools	19.1%	10	41.9	50.0	32.1				51.7	34.4	46.4				37.6		$19,749	$2,399	$1,380	$3,779	$13,794	$2,176	$15,970
Sheridan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1139 Hillsboro Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-7504	450	32	13.8	81.9%	11 (2.4%)	380 (84.4%)	35 (7.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	16 (3.6%)	14.1	596^th of 661 public elementary schools	9.8%		11.2	591^st of 639 public elementary schools	7.5%	5	45.3	43.8	28.3				28.0	50.0	20.8				29.1		$15,638	$1,778	$1,201	$2,980	$10,970	$1,688	$12,658
Marshall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1441 Marshall Street	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-7865	625	39	16.1	82.0%	13 (2.1%)	557 (89.1%)	21 (3.4%)	15 (2.4%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.4%)	14.4	593^rd of 661 public elementary schools	10.3%		15.2	563^rd of 639 public elementary schools	11.9%	30	41.9	49.4	37.0				38.1	28.3	26.1				37.1		$13,385	$1,272	$1,097	$2,369	$9,366	$1,650	$11,016
Edisto Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	3239 Cordova Road	Cordova	29039	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 536-4782	635	42	15.0	79.8%	214 (33.7%)	328 (51.7%)	52 (8.2%)	5 (0.8%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (5.2%)								(n/a)															$15,704	$1,520	$1,207	$2,726	$11,202	$1,776	$12,977
Edisto Elementary	Public	3-5	136 Woodolive Lane	Orangeburg	29515	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 531-7646	419	27	15.2	78.3%	162 (38.7%)	196 (46.8%)	24 (5.7%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.4%)	15.7	582^nd of 661 public elementary schools	12.0%		17.8	541^st of 639 public elementary schools	15.3%	41	41.6	45.3	39.1				39.6	35.7	33.4				30.2		$14,646	$1,799	$1,255	$3,054	$9,921	$1,671	$11,592
Willie Jeffries School of Excellence	Public, Charter	K-7	3000 Five Chop Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Charter Institute at Erskine	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(803) 937-3400	274	25	11.1	—	15 (5.5%)	243 (88.7%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.3%)	2.6	659^th of 661 public elementary schools	0.3%					(n/a)	25.5	29.7	29.2	21.3	35.9		11.8	13.5	9.8	2.1	6.3		18.9	19.2	$16,184	$311	$1,922	$2,232	$8,547	$5,405	$13,952
Bethune-Bowman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4857 Charleston Highway	Rowesville	29133	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 533-6371	259	19	14.0	83.8%	2 (0.8%)	220 (84.9%)	31 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	12.3	610^th of 661 public elementary schools	7.7%		9.8	601^st of 639 public elementary schools	5.9%	9	45.9	41.2	32.4				37.8	14.7	29.4				35.3		$17,301	$1,561	$915	$2,476	$12,711	$2,114	$14,825

Frequently Asked Questions about Mellichamp Elementary

Is Mellichamp Elementary a good school?

Mellichamp Elementary ranks in the bottom 1.1% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Mellichamp Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mellichamp Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Orangeburg Wilkinson High

How many students attend Mellichamp Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 144 students attended Mellichamp Elementary.

What district is Mellichamp Elementary in?

Orangeburg

What is the racial makeup of Mellichamp Elementary?

Students at Mellichamp Elementary are 85% African American, 6% White, 6% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 school spending dataNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 12, 2026

2025–26 EOCEP & SC READY test scoresAug 10, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataNov 3, 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.