The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Social studies. The lowest is 36% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Cherrydale Elementary
Cherrydale Elementary sits in Greenville, South Carolina, within the broader Greenville County Schools system. The school serves children in prekindergarten through fifth grade and operates as a regular public school. Greenville itself is a city in the midst of rapid growth, with a walkable downtown anchored by Falls Park on the Reedy and the Swamp Rabbit Trail, major employers such as Michelin, Prisma Health, and Duke Energy, and a mix of residential and commercial development. This is a community that has been expanding quickly, both in population and economic activity, which can mean shifting enrollment patterns and housing demand for families looking at schools in the area.
Cherrydale enrolls a sizable number of students for an elementary school, with grade sizes that are fairly consistent from kindergarten through fifth grade. The student body is diverse. The largest group is Hispanic, followed by a substantial Black population, and smaller shares of White students, students of two or more races, Native American students, and a very small number of Asian students. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high level of economic need across the school community. This is an important context for understanding the school’s academic picture, as schools with concentrated poverty often face additional challenges in resource allocation and student support.
The most recent state testing data from South Carolina’s SC Ready assessments provide the available picture of academic performance. In reading and math, proficiency rates across grades three through five fall in a range roughly from the mid-thirties to the upper forties. Fourth graders showed the highest proficiency in both subjects, while third and fifth graders posted lower rates. In science, only fourth graders are tested, and their proficiency rate was in the mid-thirties. The state changed cut scores in English language arts and science for this testing year, a technical note that makes direct comparisons to prior years uncertain, and the assessment for social studies has not been updated in recent years—the only social studies data available is from a previous testing cycle. With just one year of consistent data, there is no trend line to examine. A parent looking at these results will see a school where about half or fewer of students are meeting the state’s proficiency benchmarks in core subjects, which may warrant a closer conversation with the school about academic interventions, enrichment, and support services. The school does not serve grades beyond fifth, so no graduation rate or high school readiness metrics apply.
The housing market in the area around Cherrydale reflects the broader growth of Greenville. Home values are a bit above the national median, and rents are moderate relative to incomes, though rising nationally. The city’s rapid development may bring more families into the school zone, potentially affecting class sizes and school resources over time.
The district brief found little publicly reported about recent major changes in Greenville County Schools, so there is no notable district-level shift to describe here. Cherrydale Elementary provides a neighborhood option for its attendance area within a growing city, serving a predominantly low-income and diverse student population. Its academic numbers are modest, and families considering the school will likely want to learn about enrichment programs, English learner support, and how the school addresses the challenges that come with a high-poverty setting. The school’s size and grade span mean it feeds into a middle school later, so the full academic pathway extends beyond Cherrydale itself.
See more original research from School Decision →