Briggs Elementary, Florence SC - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Briggs Elementary

Briggs Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Florence, South Carolina, as part of the Florence 1 district. The school is a regular public school and sits in a mid-sized regional hub that functions as the medical, financial, and service center for the Pee Dee region. The city has invested in a sustained downtown redevelopment over the last two decades, focused on a historic commercial corridor with a performing arts center, museum, library, and new apartments, creating some concentrated street life. Major employers include two large hospital systems, manufacturers such as General Electric and Honda, and distribution centers, so many families work in healthcare, industry, or logistics. The housing market in the area shows home values that are moderately below the state benchmark, with rents that account for a modest share of a typical household income, making the area an accessible option compared to higher-cost parts of South Carolina.

Academically, Briggs Elementary posts strong proficiency rates in English language arts across grades three through five. The school also performs well in science for the grade tested, and proficiency in math shows a clear grade-level pattern, with fourth graders performing at a higher level than third graders and a noticeable dip in fifth grade. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, as the dip in fifth-grade math could reflect anything from a curriculum shift to a cohort difference, but the data alone does not explain the cause. Compared with other districts in Florence County, Briggs Elementary places in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades.

The student body is racially and economically diverse. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial composition is roughly balanced between white students and Black students, with smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races and a modest Hispanic population. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, which limits a complete picture of the school’s support landscape.

The school environment data was also incomplete. No information was reported on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, class sizes, or staffing ratios. These are meaningful areas where a parent may want to ask the school or district directly. Because Briggs is an elementary school serving only through fifth grade, it does not have a graduation rate and does not offer advanced coursework such as AP or dual enrollment.

Families should know that the district underwent a mandatory consolidation in recent years, merging Florence 1 with a neighboring district under a state emergency declaration. The consolidated district now operates under a new board of trustees elected from single-member districts, which changed governance and representation across the combined area. This restructuring may have affected attendance zones and school assignments, and families moving into the area may want to confirm their school boundaries with the district.

For a parent considering this school, Briggs Elementary offers a solid core of reading and language instruction alongside competitive math and science scores that put it ahead of many peers in the county. The school serves a relatively large elementary enrollment for its grade band and is situated in a growing city with an active downtown and a stable job market. The gaps in the data on discipline, staffing, and special education services mean that some important operational questions are left unanswered, and a parent would benefit from a school visit or conversation with the principal to fill in those details before enrolling.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 62% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · District 53% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 50% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 375%

School 75% · District 64% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 472%

School 72% · District 62% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 63% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Science

Grade 466%

School 66% · District 51% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 68% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

This schoolFlorence 01, 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 3Lower-income67%Higher-income89%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income58%Higher-income90%32 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income67%Higher-income77%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income70%43 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income44%Higher-income74%31 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income82%37 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income62%22 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income11%Higher-income60%50 pp gap