Greenwood Elementary, Florence SC

Original Research by School Decision on Greenwood Elementary

Greenwood Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Florence, South Carolina, and is part of the Florence 01 district. It sits in a mid-sized regional hub that functions as the financial, medical, and service center for the Pee Dee area, with an economy that depends heavily on healthcare and manufacturing. The district itself underwent a mandatory consolidation in 2022 that merged the former Florence 01 and Florence 04 into a single entity with a new nine-member elected board, a change that affects governance and may shift attendance zones for families across the combined area.

Academically, the school’s performance on South Carolina’s SC Ready assessments shows a mixed picture. On the most recent testing, math proficiency among third graders was notably higher than among fourth graders, while fifth graders fell in between. In English language arts, third graders also posted the strongest results, with fourth and fifth graders at a similar but lower level. Science results for fourth graders were relatively modest. A separate social studies assessment from a previous year is reported, but it used a different test and different cut scores, so it is not comparable. Across all tested subjects and grades, Greenwood’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among the four districts in Florence County, a relative strength. Families should be aware that cut scores for ELA and science were changed in recent years, which makes direct comparisons with older results uncertain.

Student demographics tell an important part of the story. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial White minority and a smaller share of students identifying as two or more races. Very small numbers identify as Asian, Hispanic, or American Indian. Every student at Greenwood qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the school serves a community with uniformly low household income. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available; families may want to check with the school directly about special education services and language support.

No information was provided on advanced coursework, extracurricular programs, discipline rates, or staffing ratios, which is common for an elementary school where these categories are often less publicly tracked. The locale brief for Florence describes a city that is largely car-dependent but has invested heavily in downtown redevelopment over the past decade, including a new library, a performing arts center, and a museum. Major employers include two large hospital systems, General Electric, Honda, and a QVC distribution center. Housing in the area, as measured by typical home values and rents, is moderate relative to national benchmarks, and the local market has seen some appreciation.

For a family considering Greenwood Elementary, the key takeaways are a school where every student qualifies for meal assistance, a relatively diverse student body with a majority-Black enrollment, and academic results that are slightly above the midpoint when compared with other districts in the same county. The math results in fourth grade and the science results are areas a parent may want to discuss with the school, while the third-grade reading and math numbers are more encouraging. The recent district consolidation means the governance landscape is still settling, and families should stay informed about how boundaries and resources are being managed.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 62% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 53% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 50% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 64% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 62% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 63% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Science

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 51% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 569%

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

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 12 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-income53%Higher-income67%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income37%Higher-income79%42 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income54%Higher-income57%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income19%Higher-income50%31 pp gap