The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in English language arts. The lowest is 39% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Eleanor S. Rice Elementary
Eleanor S. Rice Elementary is a regular public school serving preschool through fifth grade in Greenwood, South Carolina, part of the Greenwood 50 school district. It sits in a mixed-use county seat that blends manufacturing, retail trade, and healthcare as its primary employment sectors, with a historic downtown called Uptown Greenwood at its center. The city originated as a railroad and agricultural town, later shifted to textile manufacturing, and now includes anchors like Lander University and Piedmont Technical College alongside Self Regional Healthcare. Census records show a slight population decline between recent decades, though the city describes itself as a growing community. The Uptown area features restored historic buildings, a central square with numerous topiary displays, and civic amenities like a public library, a county airport, and Lake Greenwood roughly eight miles northeast.
Academically, Rice Elementary posts results that place its overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades above the midpoint relative to other districts in Greenwood County. On state assessments administered through SC Ready, the school’s strongest performance shows in third-grade English language arts, where a large majority of students score at proficient or above. Fourth-grade math and fifth-grade math also reach comfortable majorities, though fourth-grade math is notably lower. Science, tested in fourth grade, produces a more modest share reaching proficiency, and parents may want to discuss science instruction with the school. Social studies data comes from the 2018-19 school year and shows a solid outcome, but that test used a different assessment name and cut score structure, so comparison to current results is not straightforward. In both ELA and science, South Carolina changed cut scores in recent years, which means year-over-year trend lines are not directly comparable; the available data is a single year, so no trend can be established.
The student body is diverse in composition, with Black students forming the largest share, followed by white students, and smaller groups of Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Every student at Rice Elementary qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a measure of the school’s economic context. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the record, so families should ask the school directly about those support structures and their staffing.
The housing market around the school shows home values that are notably lower than the state benchmark and far below the national figure, while rental rates are also modest relative to national averages. That combination makes living near the school substantially more affordable than elsewhere in South Carolina and certainly compared to national norms,Important Factor though buyers should note that mortgage rates nationallysit at historically moderate but elevated levels.
Information gapsexist on several fronts that could matter to families deciding whether Rice Elementary fits, thelocale Kir, its discipline rates,chronic absenteeism,staffing ratios or teacher qualifications were not provided in the data accessed nor could we verify them through available searches.No Title I designation status was found despite th school's universal free-meal qualification,which warrants clarification from the district we searched fordistrict-level strategicpriorities around curriculum changes, tax millage or recent referenda but found little material to report in those categories so we leave them unaddressed rather than guess.
Overall,Rice Elementary presents as an economically diverse PK5 school with academic proficiency that runs above many nearby district peers,particularly in elementary ELA and math,while housing in the Greenwoodarea remains affordable by wider standards. Families interested in the school will want to complete the picture by asking about special education, ELL services,class sizeand any program offerings such as artsor enrichment that were not included in the data presented here.
See more original research from School Decision →