Is John C. Calhoun Elementary a good school?

John C. Calhoun Elementary ranks 212 th of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend John C. Calhoun Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 136 students attended John C. Calhoun Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of John C. Calhoun Elementary?

Students at John C. Calhoun Elementary are 56% African American, 34% White, 10% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of John C. Calhoun Elementary attend?

Students who attend John C. Calhoun Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Wright Middle High : Abbeville High

John C. Calhoun Elementary

Summary:

John C. Calhoun Elementary is a public elementary school in Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, serving grades PK-5 and part of the Abbeville 60 school district. Despite serving a predominantly low-income, African American student population, the school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic achievement, particularly in English Language Arts.

John C. Calhoun Elementary has a lower student-teacher ratio (10.6) compared to nearby schools like Iva Elementary (11.6) and Westwood Elementary (14.4), and the highest spending per student ($19,180) among the analyzed schools. This targeted funding may contribute to the school's strong academic performance, with 80.9% of 4th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 60.7% for the Abbeville 60 district and 57.2% for the state.

The nearby schools, such as Diamond Hill Elementary and Long Cane Primary, have a more racially diverse student population, with a higher percentage of white students compared to John C. Calhoun Elementary. This could provide opportunities for cross-cultural learning and understanding, while the proximity of the schools within the Abbeville 60 district could facilitate collaboration and the sharing of best practices to benefit all students in the area.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

750 North Calhoun Shores Parkw
Calhoun Falls, SC 29628

(864) 418-8016

District: Abbeville 60

SchoolDigger Rank:
212^th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,180

Students who attend John C. Calhoun Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Wright Middle
High:	Abbeville High

Student/teacher ratio: 9.8

Number of students: 136

Racial breakdown:

African American:

55.9%

White:

33.8%

Two or more races:

9.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare John C. Calhoun Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details John C. Calhoun Elementary ranks better than 66.8% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 3^rd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Abbeville 60 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 65.61. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details John C. Calhoun Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Abbeville 60 School District. Racial makeup is: African American (55.9%), White (33.8%), two or more races (9.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John C. Calhoun Elementary is 9.8, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Abbeville 60 School District! (See more...)

Compare John C. Calhoun Elementary employs 13.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at John C. Calhoun Elementary is $19,180, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Abbeville 60 School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

John C. Calhoun Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Abbeville 60:

SchoolDigger ranks Abbeville 60 10^th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for John C. Calhoun Elementary

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Rank History for all students at John C. Calhoun Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2003	29.70	422^nd	542	22.1%
2004	30.10	420^th	550	23.6%
2005	31.93	422^nd	557	24.2%
2006	38.98	385^th	559	31.1%
2007	50.57	307^th	566	45.8%
2008	68.89	172^nd	577	70.2%
2009	77.96	98^th	580	83.1%
2010	79.87	97^th	589	83.5%
2011	82.91	68^th	597	88.6%
2012	77.60	105^th	594	82.3%
2013	76.92	117^th	599	80.5%
2014	67.87	193^rd	630	69.4%
2015	52.28	285^th	638	55.3%
2016	63.01	226^th	619	63.5%
2017	58.85	244^th	639	61.8%
2018	45.09	333^rd	624	46.6%
2019	50.64	316^th	643	50.9%
2021	39.79	376^th	622	39.5%
2022	58.46	248^th	625	60.3%
2023	62.56	230^th	644	64.3%
2024	65.61	212^th	638	66.8%

See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John C. Calhoun Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	41.79	346^th	588	41.2%
2019	60.32	236^th	600	60.7%
2021	42.50	345^th	580	40.5%
2022	67.77	176^th	600	70.7%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for African American students at John C. Calhoun Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	82.05	42^nd	393	89.3%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: South Carolina Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Wednesday, March 9, 2011

This is a wonderful school!!! The teachers truly care about their students. The administration is very supportive of the teachers and students. Discipline problems are handled quickly (I can't say I have seen that in other schools)and good behavior is rewarded regularly. This school's academics surpass schools in larger districts with more financial resources. It goes to show that hard work and dedication to students really make the difference! Close Quote

Enrollment information for John C. Calhoun Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	238	272	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
1989	241	276	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	517
1990	248	286	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	534
1991	247	275	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	522
1992	242	251	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	493
1993	218	235	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	453
1994	207	232	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	439
1995	190	225	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	415
1996	190	225	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	415
1997	173	222	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	395
1998	167	200	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	368
1999	165	195	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	361
2000	153	180	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	336
2001	141	174	2	7	n/a	n/a	0	324
2002	110	154	1	5	n/a	n/a	2	272
2003	110	154	1	5	n/a	n/a	2	272
2004	105	131	2	6	n/a	n/a	0	244
2005	98	136	1	7	n/a	n/a	0	242
2006	117	137	1	6	n/a	n/a	0	261
2007	124	148	0	7	n/a	n/a	0	279
2008	113	149	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	265
2009	82	133	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	216
2010	78	128	0	2	n/a	n/a	2	210
2011	72	117	0	3	0	7	0	199
2012	75	120	0	4	0	11	0	210
2013	72	115	0	3	0	12	0	202
2014	61	118	0	3	0	16	0	198
2015	62	115	0	1	0	17	0	195
2016	63	113	0	1	0	18	0	195
2017	66	108	0	1	0	23	0	198
2018	60	107	0	0	0	22	0	189
2019	50	108	0	1	0	17	0	176
2020	45	106	0	1	0	17	0	169
2021	49	98	0	5	0	18	0	170
2022	49	85	0	5	0	17	0	156
2023	46	87	2	0	0	14	0	149
2024	46	76	1	0	0	13	0	136

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at John C. Calhoun Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	510	26.3	19.3	n/a
1989	517	27.4	18.8	n/a
1990	534	29.0	18.4	n/a
1991	522	30.5	17.1	47.1
1992	493	30.6	16.1	54.8
1993	453	24.5	18.5	58.1
1994	439	29.0	15.1	65.4
1995	415	25.0	16.6	61.4
1996	415	25.0	16.6	61.4
1997	395	24.0	16.5	55.4
1998	368	23.5	15.7	56.8
1999	361	25.5	14.2	71.5
2000	336	25.0	13.4	69.6
2001	324	23.0	14.1	71.3
2002	272	17.0	16.0	73.3
2003	272	17.0	16.0	73.3
2004	244	16.0	15.3	78.7
2005	242	18.0	13.4	79.8
2006	261	18.0	14.5	78.5
2007	279	31.0	9.0	85.3
2008	265	18.6	14.2	86.4
2009	216	18.6	11.6	84.3
2010	210	16.0	13.1	87
2011	199	14.0	14.2	89.4
2012	210	15.0	14.0	85.7
2013	202	14.0	14.4	70.3
2014	198	14.0	14.1	89.4
2015	195	14.0	13.9	77.4
2016	195	15.0	13.0	88.7
2017	198	14.6	13.5	100
2018	189	14.6	12.9	100
2019	176	14.6	12.0	86.9
2020	169	13.6	12.4	100
2021	170	14.0	12.1	100
2022	156	14.0	11.1	100
2023	149	14.0	10.6	100
2024	136	13.8	9.8	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio John C. Calhoun Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	510	26.3	19.3	n/a
1989	517	27.4	18.8	n/a
1990	534	29.0	18.4	n/a
1991	522	30.5	17.1	47.1
1992	493	30.6	16.1	54.8
1993	453	24.5	18.5	58.1
1994	439	29.0	15.1	65.4
1995	415	25.0	16.6	61.4
1996	415	25.0	16.6	61.4
1997	395	24.0	16.5	55.4
1998	368	23.5	15.7	56.8
1999	361	25.5	14.2	71.5
2000	336	25.0	13.4	69.6
2001	324	23.0	14.1	71.3
2002	272	17.0	16.0	73.3
2003	272	17.0	16.0	73.3
2004	244	16.0	15.3	78.7
2005	242	18.0	13.4	79.8
2006	261	18.0	14.5	78.5
2007	279	31.0	9.0	85.3
2008	265	18.6	14.2	86.4
2009	216	18.6	11.6	84.3
2010	210	16.0	13.1	87
2011	199	14.0	14.2	89.4
2012	210	15.0	14.0	85.7
2013	202	14.0	14.4	70.3
2014	198	14.0	14.1	89.4
2015	195	14.0	13.9	77.4
2016	195	15.0	13.0	88.7
2017	198	14.6	13.5	100
2018	189	14.6	12.9	100
2019	176	14.6	12.0	86.9
2020	169	13.6	12.4	100
2021	170	14.0	12.1	100
2022	156	14.0	11.1	100
2023	149	14.0	10.6	100
2024	136	13.8	9.8	100

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for John C. Calhoun Elementary

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,074 (9.0%)	$228 (1.9%)	$1,302 (11.0%)	$9,491 (79.8%)	$1,097 (9.2%)	$10,588 (89.1%)	$11,889
2020	$1,653 (11.2%)	$818 (5.5%)	$2,471 (16.7%)	$10,750 (72.8%)	$1,544 (10.5%)	$12,294 (83.3%)	$14,765
2021	$1,565 (9.8%)	$935 (5.8%)	$2,500 (15.6%)	$12,272 (76.5%)	$1,276 (8.0%)	$13,548 (84.4%)	$16,048
2022	$2,504 (14.4%)	$1,396 (8.0%)	$3,900 (22.4%)	$12,052 (69.2%)	$1,470 (8.4%)	$13,521 (77.6%)	$17,421
2023	$2,127 (11.1%)	$1,028 (5.4%)	$3,155 (16.4%)	$14,289 (74.5%)	$1,736 (9.1%)	$16,025 (83.6%)	$19,180

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on John C. Calhoun Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 316^th of 643 Elementary schools	Ranks 230^th of 644 Elementary schools	13.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (John C. Calhoun Elementary)	29.4	69.6	40.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Abbeville 60)	47.2	62	14.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	49.7	53.5	3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (John C. Calhoun Elementary)	76.4	65.2	11.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Abbeville 60)	76.6	69	7.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	57.7	53.6	4.1%
4th Grade Science (John C. Calhoun Elementary)	55.5	54.6	0.9%
4th Grade Science (Abbeville 60)	57.3	55.9	1.4%
4th Grade Science (South Carolina)	52	46.6	5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (John C. Calhoun Elementary)	48.1	72.7	24.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Abbeville 60)	51.8	62.1	10.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	51.3	57.2	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (John C. Calhoun Elementary)	37	31.8	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Abbeville 60)	54.7	55.5	0.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	50.5	47	3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (John C. Calhoun Elementary)	34.4	59.2	24.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Abbeville 60)	44.9	57	12.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	41	55.2	14.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (John C. Calhoun Elementary)	51.7	33.3	18.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Abbeville 60)	51.8	55.4	3.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	45.4	44.6	0.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	176	149	15.3%
African American	108	87	19.4%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	2
Hispanic	1	0	100%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	50	46	8%
Two or More Races	17	14	17.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	86.9%	100%	13.1%

Schools Near John C. Calhoun Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				SC READY English Language Arts (2024)					SC READY Mathematics (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
John C. Calhoun Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	750 North Calhoun Shores Parkw	Calhoun Falls	29628	Abbeville County	Abbeville 60	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 418-8016	136	14	9.8	100.0%	46 (33.8%)	76 (55.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (9.6%)	65.6	212^th of 638 public elementary schools	66.8%		62.6	230^th of 644 public elementary schools	64.3%	18		80.9	52.2				66.6	39.1			$19,180	$2,127	$1,028	$3,155	$14,289	$1,736	$16,025
Diamond Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-7	104 Lake Secession Road	Abbeville	29620	Abbeville County	Abbeville 60	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 446-2600	307	21	14.6	70.0%	260 (84.7%)	35 (11.4%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.3%)	68.5	196^th of 638 public elementary schools	69.3%		73.8	161^st of 644 public elementary schools	75.0%	35	58.4	65.5	36.8	59.6	51.3	83.3	58.6	55.3	54.8	40.5	$12,364	$953	$774	$1,727	$9,316	$1,321	$10,637
Westwood Elementary	Public	3-5	124 Highway 28 Bypass	Abbeville	29620	Abbeville County	Abbeville 60	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 366-9604	292	23	12.6	100.0%	131 (44.9%)	151 (51.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	59.9	251^st of 638 public elementary schools	60.7%		60.3	242^nd of 644 public elementary schools	62.4%	9	61.4	51.5	54.0			67.4	42.7	58.5			$12,176	$1,695	$604	$2,299	$8,579	$1,298	$9,877
Iva Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	803 Antreville Highway	Iva	29655	Anderson County	Anderson 03	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 348-6400	379	30	12.6	100.0%	307 (81.0%)	26 (6.9%)	22 (5.8%)	5 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.0%)	78.9	131^st of 638 public elementary schools	79.5%		82.6	101^st of 644 public elementary schools	84.3%	30	62.9	74.6	72.9			66.7	52.5	62.7			$13,086	$2,061	$1,004	$3,065	$8,852	$1,169	$10,021
Long Cane Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	815 East Greenwood Street	Abbeville	29620	Abbeville County	Abbeville 60	No	No	No	Yes	(864) 366-5924	384	27	14.2	100.0%	150 (39.1%)	217 (56.5%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)								(n/a)											$12,709	$1,792	$657	$2,449	$8,899	$1,361	$10,260

John C. Calhoun Elementary

Abbeville 60:

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Rank History for John C. Calhoun Elementary

Rank History for all students at John C. Calhoun Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John C. Calhoun Elementary

Rank History for African American students at John C. Calhoun Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for John C. Calhoun Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at John C. Calhoun Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio John C. Calhoun Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for John C. Calhoun Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on John C. Calhoun Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near John C. Calhoun Elementary