Best Public Schools in Zip Code 29204

Zip code 29204 in Columbia, SC, is served by 8 schools in the Richland 01 school district, including 4 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools, with a total enrollment of 4,058 students.

For parents, the standout school in this area is clearly A. C. Flora High, which ranks in the 63rd percentile statewide and is the only school in the zip code to beat state averages on key metrics. It has an 89.4% graduation rate, a low 1.7% dropout rate, and the lowest chronic absenteeism at 19.2%. In contrast, C. A. Johnson High faces severe challenges with a 73% graduation rate, an 8.1% dropout rate, and 51.2% chronic absenteeism. Among elementary schools, Carver-Lyon Elementary and Bradley Elementary form an upper tier with better test scores, while Watkins-Nance Elementary and Burton Pack Elementary lag behind. W. G. Sanders Middle outperforms W. A. Perry Middle in both ELA and math proficiency, though both struggle with chronic absenteeism above 32%.

The most striking finding is the inverse relationship between spending and performance. The lowest-performing schools spend the most per student—W. A. Perry Middle spends $30,818 per student and C. A. Johnson High spends $29,536—while top-performing A. C. Flora High spends just $16,591. Chronic absenteeism appears to be the strongest predictor of success, with a 33-point gap between the best and worst schools. There is also an interesting Algebra anomaly where both middle schools show 90-100% proficiency in Algebra 1 despite dismal overall math scores, suggesting only advanced students take that course. On a positive note, English 2 scores are strong across both high schools, and Burton Pack Elementary has shown remarkable improvement, jumping 53 positions in state rankings over two years.