Pendleton Elementary, Pendleton SC

Original Research by School Decision on Pendleton Elementary

Pendleton Elementary serves students from Pre-K through sixth grade in Pendleton, South Carolina, within Anderson School District 4. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and one of several elementary schools serving the district’s growing communities.

The student body, while moderately sized for a school that covers six elementary grades, is notably homogeneous in economic background: all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high-poverty catchment area. Racially, the school is majority white, with a substantial Black student population, a small but present Hispanic group, and a modest share of students identifying as two or more races; Asian and Native American representation is minimal. Information on the share of students with disabilities or English learner status was not available.

Academically, Pendleton Elementary participates in South Carolina’s SC Ready assessments for math, English language arts, and science. In the most recent testing year, performance showed variation across subjects and grades. English language arts results were stronger, with the highest proficiency rate in fifth grade and solid results in third, fourth, and sixth grades. Math proficiency was lower overall, with fourth and sixth grade results notably softer, while fifth grade math was stronger. Science was a weaker area, with fourth grade results well below half proficient, though sixth grade science was higher. A single year of social studies data from an earlier testing cycle showed a high proficiency rate, but that assessment has since changed, making it an unreliable comparison. When considering overall performance across all tested subjects and grades, Pendleton Elementary’s composite places it in the lower range among its comparison group of schools within Anderson County districts. No multi-year trend data exists beyond a single year, so it is not possible to say whether these results are stable or shifting. Because the school ends at sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report; chronic absenteeism and discipline data were also absent from available records.

The school is located in Pendleton, a small historic town whose entire core is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with over 50 preserved 18th- and 19th-century buildings clustered around a village green and town square. The town has a compact, walkable center with antique shops, an art gallery, and a bluegrass music venue, but it is not a high-density urban environment. US Route 76 bypasses the square, keeping through-traffic away from the historic district. Tri-County Technical College is located within the town, and Clemson University sits in the adjacent city of Clemson, whose border touches Pendleton’s northwestern edge. Lake Hartwell lies at the town’s northeast tip, providing recreational access. Housing values in the area are modest relative to state and national benchmarks, with rents similarly below the wider market, making the community relatively affordable for families and retirees. The housing market shows mild year-over-year appreciation, consistent with stable, preservation-focused growth.

The parent district, Anderson School District 4, is experiencing a period of rapid enrollment growth that has prompted a multi-year facility plan, including construction of a new high school to add capacity. For families at Pendleton Elementary, this means that the district’s overall infrastructure is under expansion, which could affect school boundaries, class sizes, and feeder patterns in the coming years. The district’s growth context is a relevant consideration for any family thinking about long-term stability within the school’s attendance zone.

Pendleton Elementary offers a full Pre-K through sixth grade pathway in a high-poverty, small-town setting with a historic character. Academic performance shows stronger reading than math or science, and the school’s overall results trail the middle of the pack among Anderson County schools. Families considering this school may want to investigate what supports are in place for students who are not yet proficient, particularly in math and science, and how the district’s growth plans might affect the school’s future.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 367%

School 67% · District 75% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 453%

School 53% · District 72% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 65% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 64% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 366%

School 66% · District 75% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 80% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 80% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 73% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Science

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 65% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 66% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 579%

School 79% · District 85% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median · even with county median

This schoolAnderson 04, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income56%Higher-income86%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income61%Higher-income83%23 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income64%Higher-income61%3 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income42%Higher-income72%29 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income45%Higher-income75%30 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income57%11 pp gap