The top reported proficiency rate is 81% in English language arts. The lowest is 62% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mathews Elementary
Mathews Elementary is a regular public school in Greenwood, South Carolina, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of the Greenwood 50 district. The school’s academic results from the most recent state testing cycle present a clear picture: reading and language arts are a strength, while math performance is more uneven and declines as students move up in grade.
On the English language arts portion of South Carolina’s SC Ready assessments, students across grades three, four, and five posted strong proficiency levels, with the school’s overall ELA rate well above typical marks for the area. In fact, Mathews Elementary’s combined proficiency across all tested subjects places it among the highest-performing schools when compared to others in Greenwood County—a useful frame given that the county contains several districts and many elementary schools. The school’s math results are softer. In grade three, a solid majority of students met proficiency, but by grade five that share dropped. This pattern may warrant a conversation with the school about how math instruction and support evolve across the elementary years. Science results at grade four were moderate. The single available social studies result is several years old, making it difficult to draw current conclusions.
Every student enrolled at Mathews qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a marker of the school’s role in a community with widespread economic need. The student body itself is diverse: roughly half of the children are Black, about three-tenths are White, and a fifth are Hispanic, with small numbers of Asian, American Indian, and multiracial students. This mix gives the school a broadly representative character for the area. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent who wants to understand those supports should ask directly.
Greenwood, where Mathews Elementary is located, is a county seat that blends small-town residential life with a historic downtown called Uptown Greenwood, complete with restored buildings, shops, galleries, and a central square. The city is home to two colleges—Lander University and Piedmont Technical College—and major employers include a regional healthcare system, a genetic research center, and the colleges themselves. Employment is concentrated in manufacturing, retail trade, and healthcare. The city’s population has seen a slight decline in recent decades, though housing costs in the area remain modest relative to state and national averages, making the community more accessible for many families. Greenwood’s civic anchors include Lake Greenwood a short distance away, a state park, a public library, and the Greenwood County Airport.
As an elementary school, Mathews does not offer high school-level pathways such as AP or dual credit, and no detailed list of academic programs or enrichment offerings was available. The school is not a charter or magnet; it is a standard neighborhood school within its district. Information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, and staffing was also absent from the data. For a family considering this school, the standout academic picture is in early literacy, while math performance invites a closer look. The school’s high-poverty context means it likely receives federal Title I funding—though that status was not explicitly reported—and families should expect a student body shaped by the economic realities of the area. The district itself, Greenwood 50, did not produce any clear recent developments in bond measures, curriculum changes, or tax policy in publicly available records, so that context is simply not known.
Overall, Mathews Elementary offers a notably strong ELA program in a diverse, economically challenged setting, with math results that trend downward and bear watching. It fits a family looking for a solid elementary foundation in a midsize county-seat town with modest housing costs and a traditional downtown character.
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