Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 29566

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its South Carolina rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

At a glance

Schools

1,609

Students

Top rankedWaterway Elementary260^th of 649 South Carolina elementary schools

See the top-ranked South Carolina schools →

Summary:

Zip code 29566 in Little River, SC is served by two public elementary schools, Waterway Elementary and Riverside Elementary, both part of the highly-rated Horry 01 school district, and together they educate roughly 1,600 students across grades PK through 5.

For parents comparing the two, Waterway Elementary is the stronger academic choice overall. It holds a significantly better state ranking (260th vs. 365th out of 649 schools) and has been on an upward trajectory over the past three years, while Riverside Elementary has been steadily declining. Waterway excels particularly in English Language Arts, with all three grade levels scoring above 68% proficiency in 2024-2025, outpacing both the district and state averages by 6-7 points. It also leads in 3rd-grade math (68% proficiency) and 4th-grade science (62.2%). Interestingly, Riverside actually spends more per student ($14,641 vs. $13,091) and has a better student-teacher ratio (14.8 vs. 16.2), yet still trails Waterway on nearly every test score—a clear sign that Waterway's instructional approach is more effective despite fewer resources.

Both schools share two notable challenges. First, chronic absenteeism affects roughly 1 in 6 students at each school (16.0% at Waterway, 16.7% at Riverside), though this is below the state average of 22.3%. Second, both schools experience a dramatic "5th-grade math slump"—Waterway drops from 68% proficiency in 3rd grade to just 46.7% in 5th grade, while Riverside falls from 48.3% to 38.1%. This consistent pattern suggests a district-wide issue with upper-elementary math instruction. Riverside also shows more erratic grade-level performance, with excellent 4th-grade ELA scores (69%) but very weak 5th-grade math, indicating results may depend heavily on specific teachers or cohorts rather than a stable school-wide system. For parents, Waterway Elementary offers more consistent, higher-level academics, while Riverside Elementary provides smaller classes and more funding per student, though with less predictable outcomes.

Load more schools when map is moved

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 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
Waterway Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	700 Sandridge Road	Little River	29566	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 399-2204	912	56	16.2		441 (48.4%)	162 (17.8%)	184 (20.2%)	12 (1.3%)	6 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	107 (11.7%)	57.5	260^th of 649 public elementary schools	59.9%		72.1	184^th of 640 public elementary schools	71.3%	76	68.4	66.6	61.6	67.7	53.6	40.6	52.3	$13,091	$1,077	$515	$1,592	$10,158	$1,342	$11,499
Riverside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1287 Highway 57 South	Little River	29566	Horry County	Horry 01	No	No	No	Yes	(843) 399-8800	697	47	14.8		313 (44.9%)	208 (29.8%)	86 (12.3%)	6 (0.9%)	4 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	77 (11.0%)	43.5	365^th of 649 public elementary schools	43.8%		53.2	290^th of 640 public elementary schools	54.7%	75	58.1	58.2	67.0	55.6	43.6	47.1	38.4	$14,641	$1,623	$697	$2,320	$10,793	$1,529	$12,321

Cities Near Zip Code 29566

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Little River	2.36 mi	4	58^th
North Myrtle Beach	4.03 mi	1	8^th
Myrtle Beach	11.75 mi	31	45^th
Conway	14.25 mi	17	55^th
Loris	14.79 mi	4	120^th

See the top SC South Carolina cities

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.