Riverwalk Academy, Rock Hill SC - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Riverwalk Academy

Riverwalk Academy is a public charter school in Rock Hill, South Carolina, serving students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. It operates under the SC Public Charter School District, a statewide authorizer that is not a traditional geographic school system. Rock Hill itself is a mid-sized city with a historic downtown, multiple colleges including Winthrop University, and a growing manufacturing economy. The school is situated on Mount Gallant Road, in an area that blends suburban development with access to the Catawba River and Lake Wylie.

The school enrolls a modest number of students for a K-12 campus, with classes spread relatively evenly across the elementary and middle grades and a smaller high school population. The student body is predominantly white, with Black and Hispanic students each making up a meaningful share and small numbers from other racial backgrounds. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that is lower than many public schools in the region. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.

Academically, the school’s state test results show a mixed picture that varies by grade and subject. In English language arts, proficiency rates in the elementary and middle grades are generally strong, with several grades posting rates well above half and some reaching into the high range. Fifth grade, in particular, had a very high proficiency rate in reading. Math proficiency is more uneven. Elementary grades show a wider spread, with third grade achieving a solid rate but fourth grade coming in noticeably lower. Middle school math rates dip further, with seventh and eighth grade each below a third of students scoring proficient. Science results, available for only two grade levels, also show a wide range. The overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades places Riverwalk Academy above the midpoint relative to other districts in York County, meaning it performs in the upper half of that comparison group. Still, the variation between strong reading scores and weaker math results in the middle years is worth noting; families should investigate how the school addresses math instruction in those grades.

The school’s graduation rate was not reported in the data, so that important measure cannot be assessed here. Because the school serves all grade levels on one campus, a parent considering the high school experience may want to inquire about graduation outcomes, course offerings, and postsecondary planning directly.

Rock Hill’s housing market reflects a growing area with home values that are above the state median but slightly below the national figure. Rents have been rising modestly. The broader community has seen significant development along the Catawba River, including the Riverwalk project, and the city has invested in parks and transit. The charter school draws from a wide area, so the commute and transportation options may vary depending on where a family lives in or around the city.

Riverwalk Academy offers a full K-12 pathway under a charter framework, and its academic profile is strongest in elementary and middle school reading, while math and science show areas where the school would benefit from a closer look. The school’s small high school enrollment and missing graduation data leave open questions about the upper-grade experience that only a visit or conversation with the school can answer. For a family seeking a charter option in the Rock Hill area that covers all grades, this school is worth exploring, but with attention to those specifics.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 351%

School 51% · District 50% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 44% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 36% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 35% · ▼ 1 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 32% · ▼ 4 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 24% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 59% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 60% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 585%

School 85% · District 58% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 62% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 776%

School 76% · District 64% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 59% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 43% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 50% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 66% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 750%

School 50% · District 65% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

This schoolSC Public Charter School District, 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-income68%Higher-income73%5 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income60%Higher-income48%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income84%Higher-income87%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income84%39 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income68%Higher-income84%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income55%Higher-income68%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income42%Higher-income68%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income27%Higher-income30%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income59%Higher-income70%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income20%Higher-income50%31 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income21%Higher-income34%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income14%Higher-income29%15 pp gap