Ocean Bay Elementary, Myrtle Beach SC

Original Research by School Decision on Ocean Bay Elementary

Ocean Bay Elementary is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Horry County Schools, a district that, based on available public information, has had no major recent changes reported. The school's enrollment is large for an elementary school, and its grade span means there is no graduation rate to report, as that metric applies only to high schools. State testing data is the primary window into academic performance here.

Students performed strongly in English language arts. In each of the three tested grades, a solid majority scored at the proficient level or above, with fourth grade results standing out as particularly high. Performance in math was solid overall but more varied. Students in third and fourth grade posted strong proficiency rates, while fifth graders did somewhat less well, a pattern that a parent may want to discuss with the school. In science, the one tested grade, fourth graders again performed well. Social studies data is older from a prior state assessment cycle and may not reflect current instruction. The available academic data covers a single school year, so trends over time cannot be assessed. The school could not be compared to other schools in the county because the comparison set contained only one district, making a positional assessment impossible.

The student body is majority white, with the next largest groups being Hispanic students, followed by Black, multiracial, and Asian students. A notable share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating some economic diversity within the school community. Information on the share of students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the available data, leaving a gap that families may want to explore directly with the school. The school is not a charter or magnet.

Ocean Bay Elementary sits in Myrtle Beach, a resort city that combines a permanent residential population with a massive tourism economy. This gives the area a distinctive character: large seasonal visitor influxes, extensive hospitality infrastructure, and a commercial core along the beachfront boardwalk and the Market Common District, the latter redeveloped from a former Air Force base. The broader Myrtle Beach metropolitan area has experienced rapid population growth and ongoing development. Housing costs in the school's zip code area run moderately above the state average and near the national benchmark, with both home values and rents showing a slight easing in the most recent period compared to the prior year. The local economy is heavily centered on tourism, hospitality, and the airport.

For a family considering this school, the academic picture is strongest in English language arts and generally solid across other subjects, with some grade-level variation in math that may merit a closer look. The gaps in reported data on special populations, discipline, and attendance mean that a visit and conversation with the school would be useful to get a fuller sense of student support and school climate.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 63% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 474%

School 74% · District 61% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 55% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 376%

School 76% · District 67% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 483%

School 83% · District 70% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 576%

School 76% · District 67% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Science

Grade 475%

School 75% · District 57% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 30 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 590%

School 90% · District 80% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above 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 3Lower-income65%Higher-income83%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income78%Higher-income86%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income70%Higher-income79%9 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income63%Higher-income78%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income72%Higher-income77%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income71%22 pp gap