The top reported proficiency rate is 39% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on C. E. Murray Elementary
C. E. Murray Elementary serves a narrow grade span of fourth and fifth graders in Greeleyville, a small, rural town in Williamsburg County. The school is part of Williamsburg 01, the district that covers the county. The community context matters here. Greeleyville has seen steady population decline and a shrinking economic base. Manufacturing and health care are the largest remaining employment sectors. Many residents commute out of town for work. The downtown area has lost retail to competition from businesses along a nearby highway, and the town’s median household income and property values have both fallen in recent years. This is not a growth area; it is a place where families are leaving, and the housing market reflects that: home values are well below both the state and national benchmarks, and the typical monthly mortgage payment is notably lower than rent, which may make homeownership more accessible than in many other parts of the state.
The school itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It enrolled a small student body for a two-grade school. The student population is predominantly Black, with a much smaller share of white students and a very small number of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. Every single student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a high-poverty category. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so a parent who needs that information would want to ask the school directly.
State testing results on the SC Ready assessments show a mixed picture. In fourth-grade math, just over a third of students scored at the proficient level or above. In fourth-grade English language arts, the share was slightly higher, above two-fifths. Fifth-grade results were lower: one in five students were proficient in math, and just over a third were proficient in ELA. Science results from the prior school year, using the SC PASS assessment, showed that one in ten fourth graders reached proficiency. Across these subjects, the proficiency rates are well below what most families would consider strong. This is a setting where a parent should expect that their child may need significant academic support to meet grade-level benchmarks. The school may have programs in place to address that, but the data does not describe them.
The district has recently restructured some of its elementary schools, converting Greeleyville Elementary into Greeleyville STEAM Academy and another school into a leadership academy. It is not clear from the available information whether C. E. Murray Elementary itself is part of that restructuring or what the new programs look like in practice. A family moving into the area may want to clarify with the district whether the school has adopted any specialized theme or curriculum, and how the district’s overall academic trajectory is trending. According to publicly reported information, Williamsburg 01’s graduation rate has declined over the past several years, which is a signal that the challenges visible in the elementary grades may persist through the upper grades.
C. E. Murray Elementary sits in a context of economic hardship and population loss. Its academic results are modest, and the district faces headwinds. For a family that values a very small school community and is already connected to Greeleyville or the surrounding rural area, this is the neighborhood school. For a family looking for consistently strong test scores or a growing, affluent community, this would likely not fit. The data does not include information on course offerings, after-school programs, or extracurriculars, so a parent should visit and ask those questions directly. The school’s website and the district office are the best next step.
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