York Road Elementary, Rock Hill SC

Original Research by School Decision on York Road Elementary

York Road Elementary is a regular public school in Rock Hill, South Carolina, serving students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the York 03 school district, also known as Rock Hill Schools. The school sits on West Main Street in Rock Hill, a city that blends historic downtown buildings, college campuses, and suburban development along the Interstate 77 corridor. Rock Hill has transitioned from a textile-driven economy to one with a strong manufacturing base, and its northern edge touches Lake Wylie.

The student body is diverse. Just under half of the students are Black, roughly a third are White, and smaller shares are Hispanic or identify with two or more races. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a measure tied to household income. Enrollment across the elementary grades is fairly even, with a pre-kindergarten program adding about twenty children. The school does not report the share of students with individualized education plans or those learning English as a new language, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about special education and English learner services.

On state assessments, known as SC Ready, York Road Elementary's results are mixed. In English language arts, roughly between two-fifths and half of students scored at proficient or above, depending on the grade. Math proficiency rates were lower, around three in ten students, with little variation across grades three through five. Science results for fourth grade were notably low, with about one in six students reaching proficiency. The only social studies scores available come from several years ago and are not directly comparable to current assessments. Because state testing cut scores changed for ELA and science in recent years, year-over-year trend comparisons are not reliable; the 2024-25 data represents a single snapshot.

When placed alongside other elementary schools in York County, the school's overall proficiency across subjects sits in the bottom quartile. This is a meaningful signal for parents weighing academic outcomes. There is no data on chronic absenteeism or student discipline at the school, which are gaps worth noting.

Housing in the area carries a home value around the national median and rents that are a modest share of typical household income. The local economy shows a low unemployment rate, and Rock Hill has invested in parks, a riverfront development, and an electric bus service. For families considering the school, the housing market reflects a moderately priced market relative to county and national benchmarks.

The York 03 district has experienced a steady decline in enrollment over the past several years, a factor that can affect school funding and class sizes. The district also offers specialized choice programs at some elementary schools, including language immersion and Montessori, though York Road Elementary is not described as having such a designation. A parent interested in alternative educational approaches may want to explore those options across the district.

York Road Elementary serves a high-poverty student community with a racially diverse makeup. Its academic performance is below the county average across tested subjects, with ELA showing stronger results than math and science. The school's setting in a growing, mid-sized city with a historic core and multiple colleges gives it a specific place in the broader community. Families considering this school should expect a typical elementary curriculum in a district undergoing enrollment shifts, and they may wish to discuss student support services and programming directly with the school, as several data fields were not available in the public record.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 331%

School 31% · District 56% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 47% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 43% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 65% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 64% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 62% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Science

Grade 416%

School 16% · District 47% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 70% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

This schoolYork 03, 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-income45%Higher-income48%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income25%Higher-income48%23 pp gap