The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in Social studies. The lowest is 49% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Waccamaw Elementary
Waccamaw Elementary serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in Conway, a city that functions as both the Horry County seat and a college town shaped by Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College. The school sits in a growing part of the Myrtle Beach metro area, where downtown revitalization along the Waccamaw River Riverwalk has brought new shops and restaurants while historic buildings anchor the civic core. Housing values in the area have been moderate compared to national trends, and rental costs follow a similar pattern. The school draws from a wide attendance zone that includes both established neighborhoods and newer residential development tied to the region's expansion.
The student body is large for an elementary school, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across kindergarten through fifth grade. The student population is racially and ethnically diverse. About half of students are White, with substantial shares of Hispanic and Black students, and smaller groups of students who are Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or of two or more races. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which places the school in a high-poverty context. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so it is not possible to assess those dimensions from the available information.
Academically, the school's state test results show a clear difference between English language arts and mathematics. In ELA, a majority of students met proficiency across all three tested grades, with the strongest performance in third grade and a modest decline by fifth grade. These results are solid and suggest that most students are developing grade-level reading and writing skills by the time they leave the school. Mathematics tells a different story. Third graders posted a strong proficiency rate, but the share of students meeting the bar dropped sharply in fourth grade and fell again in fifth grade, where it was the weakest result across any tested subject. Science results for fourth graders fell roughly in the middle, with about half of students scoring proficient. Social studies data is from several years ago and used a different assessment and different proficiency standards, so it offers no reliable comparison to current performance.
The trend in the math scores, in particular, is something a parent may want to discuss with the school. The drop from third to fifth grade suggests that some students may not be building the foundational math skills needed for the upper elementary curriculum. The school may have supports in place, but the data does not describe interventions, staffing ratios, or professional development. Without that information, families considering the school should ask how math instruction is structured in the upper grades and what additional help is available for students who fall behind.
No discipline data, attendance rates, or staffing ratios were reported, so it is not possible to gauge school climate or chronic absenteeism from this profile. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It is part of Horry County Schools, the single school district serving the entire county. The district did not report any recent major changes in programming, boundaries, or leadership in the available sources.
For a family weighing this school, the key takeaway is that it serves a very high-need student population and produces strong literacy outcomes, but math achievement erodes noticeably in the upper grades. The setting in Conway offers the benefits of a college town with a walkable historic core and proximity to the Myrtle Beach area's amenities and employment base. The school's size means it has a full range of grade-level classrooms and likely a substantial teaching staff, but the lack of detailed staffing or program data leaves some questions about class sizes and enrichment offerings unanswered. Parents who value strong early literacy and a diverse, community-oriented elementary experience will find a lot to work with here. Those who are especially concerned about math instruction in fourth and fifth grade will want to learn more about how the school addresses that challenge.
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