The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in English language arts. The lowest is 52% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on A. C. Moore Elementary
A. C. Moore Elementary is a regular public school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade within the Richland 01 school district. The school sits in the heart of the state capital, a city where the presence of the University of South Carolina, state government, and Fort Jackson give the area an institutional and residential character. The original downtown grid with its wide streets and the overlapping civic and university life shape the broader context families encounter, though A. C. Moore Elementary itself is located in a neighborhood setting rather than the downtown core.
The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary school serving these grades. The student body is diverse, with a substantial share of white students, a large black student population, and smaller shares of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. Available data shows every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a category that captures the school’s socioeconomic context. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the data provided, so a family with specific needs in those areas would want to follow up with the school directly.
On state assessments, the school’s performance shows a pattern of rising proficiency as students advance. In reading, the share of students meeting the state’s proficiency standard in third grade is moderate, climbs to a higher level in fourth grade, and reaches a strong level in fifth grade. In math, a similar upward trajectory appears: the proficiency rate in third grade is moderate, rises in fourth grade, and reaches a solid level in fifth grade. Fourth-grade science results are moderate. Fifth-grade social studies data is from an older assessment cycle and is not directly comparable to current results, so drawing a conclusion from it is not useful. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, places it near the top among the districts in Richland County, though the comparison cohort includes only a small number of districts.
The school’s grade band means there is no graduation rate to report, as that metric applies only to high schools. The data included no information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, or staffing ratios. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its approach to student support and any programming beyond the core academic subjects.
Housing in the school’s zip code is priced somewhat above the statewide median home value, and rents are also moderately above the state median. The local housing market has been rising, and the area’s economic context includes a national unemployment rate that has stayed relatively steady.
Richland 01, the district overseeing A. C. Moore Elementary, did not show any recent district-level changes of note in the available information, so the school’s operations are likely continuing on a stable footing without major restructuring or boundary shifts.
A. C. Moore Elementary is a school where academic proficiency, particularly by the upper elementary grades, places it in a strong position relative to its county peers. The student body is economically diverse by the measure of meal eligibility, and the school’s setting in Columbia places it within a city with major institutional employers and a downtown that blends government, university, and residential life. Families considering this school may want to speak with staff about support services and enrichment offerings, as those details were not part of the data reviewed here.
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