Palmetto Bays Elementary, Myrtle Beach SC

Original Research by School Decision on Palmetto Bays Elementary

Palmetto Bays Elementary is a regular public school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade as part of Horry County Schools. The school sits on Highway 544, a main artery through the fast-growing resort region.

The academic picture from the most recent state assessments shows a mixed profile. In mathematics, proficiency rates across third, fourth, and fifth grades fell in a range from about half to just under three-fifths of students meeting the state’s definition of proficient. In English language arts, the results were more varied: third and fourth graders scored at roughly the same level as math, while fifth graders reached a notably higher rate, with roughly four out of five students scoring proficient. Science results for fourth grade showed about half of students meeting the proficiency mark. Social studies data from a prior year is available but dates to before the pandemic and used a different assessment, so it does not provide a current comparison. Only a single year of test results is available for math and ELA, meaning it is not possible to assess whether performance is improving or declining. The state made changes to its cut scores for ELA and science in recent years, which further complicates year-over-year comparisons. Families looking for trend information may want to ask the school or district for additional context.

Every student at Palmetto Bays qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a reflection of the community’s economic profile. The student body is diverse: roughly half of students are white, about a third are Hispanic, and smaller shares are Black, multiracial, Asian, or American Indian. The school serves an enrollment that is typical for an elementary school in its grade band. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available in the provided records, so families with children who may need those services should contact the school directly.

The surrounding housing market reflects Myrtle Beach’s tourism-driven economy. Home values in the immediate area are slightly above the state median, and rents are consistent with a coastal resort city. The broader Myrtle Beach metro area is one of the fastest-growing in the country, with major redevelopment of the former Air Force base into the Market Common District, which includes an urban town center, parks, and trails. The day-to-day character of the city is shaped by millions of annual visitors, beachfront attractions such as the boardwalk and SkyWheel, and automobile-oriented commercial strips along Kings Highway. Walkable pockets exist near the boardwalk and Market Common, but much of the city requires a car.

The district itself, Horry County Schools, covers the entire county. A search for recent district-level changes turned up little that would significantly affect a family’s experience, and no major facility or boundary changes were found for this school. The neighbor comparison feature could not generate a ranking against other districts because the available data did not include enough schools for a meaningful benchmark. Readers may want to ask the district how Palmetto Bays’s performance compares with other elementary schools in the area.

For a family considering this school, the standout is the strong fifth-grade reading performance. The math and science results sit in a middle range, and the universal meal program and diverse student body are defining characteristics of the school. With limited trend data and no information on class sizes or support services, a direct conversation with the principal would fill in many of the gaps.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 63% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 61% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 55%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 67% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 70% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 579%

School 79% · District 67% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Science

Grade 450%

School 50% · District 57% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 578%

School 78% · District 80% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

This schoolHorry 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 4Lower-income58%Higher-income60%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income79%Higher-income77%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income45%Higher-income65%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income57%Higher-income50%7 pp gap