Riverbank Elementary, West Columbia SC

Original Research by School Decision on Riverbank Elementary

Riverbank Elementary sits in West Columbia, a commuter city and suburb directly across the Congaree River from downtown Columbia. The city is part of one of the fastest growing counties in South Carolina, and it blends older historic districts with newer commercial corridors along roads like Sunset Boulevard. A nearly four-mile Riverwalk, the nationally ranked Riverbanks Zoo, and access to three major interstates are among the civic anchors. Major employers include Lexington Medical Center, Southeastern Freight Lines, and Still Hopes Retirement Community, each with a substantial workforce. Property taxes are publicly described as lower than in surrounding Midlands municipalities, and the city recently completed a major sewer service expansion to unlock development.

Riverbank Elementary itself is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Its enrollment includes a large student body for an elementary school, and every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is diverse: the largest share of students are Hispanic, followed by comparable shares of Black students and white students. Smaller groups include students of two or more races, Asian students, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the profiles reviewed, so a parent may want to follow up with the school on those supports.

On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year through the SC Ready program, Riverbank’s results varied by grade and subject. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above was roughly on par with many area elementary schools in third and fifth grade, while fourth graders posted a stronger result. In mathematics, proficiency rates were lower across all three tested grades, with a notable dip in fifth grade. Science results for fourth grade were similar in range to the school’s English language arts numbers. The state changed cut scores for English language arts and science in this testing cycle, so these results should be interpreted with some caution regarding trend comparisons. A broader look at Riverbank’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it above the midpoint among elementary schools in Lexington County, in the top quartile relative to those schools.

Because Riverbank serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school does not offer advanced placement, dual-credit, or career pathways that would be relevant to older students. The school’s charter status is not in effect, and information on magnet designation and Title I status was not provided. No recent district-level changes or initiatives were publicly reported in the materials reviewed, so the picture of the school at this time is largely a static one.

For a family considering this area, Riverbank is a large, high-poverty elementary school with a diverse student body in a suburb that is actively growing and investing in infrastructure. The school’s academic performance shows relative strength in fourth-grade reading compared to its own results in other grades and subjects, while math proficiency is an area where a parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the instructional supports in place. The surrounding community offers a mix of historic character and new development, with convenient access to Columbia and the amenities of a fast-growing county.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 43%

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

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 39% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 27% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 48% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 458%

School 58% · District 51% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 50% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Science

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 37% · ▲ 8 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 567%

School 67% · District 64% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

This schoolLexington 02, 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-income44%Higher-income45%0 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income56%Higher-income65%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income53%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income42%Higher-income45%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income68%31 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income36%8 pp gap