Whale Branch Elementary

Summary:

Whale Branch Elementary is a public elementary school in Seabrook, South Carolina, serving 371 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Beaufort 01 school district, which is ranked 26 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Whale Branch Elementary stands out for several key reasons. It has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (around 72-75%) compared to nearby schools like Lady's Island Elementary, Port Royal Elementary, and Coosa Elementary, which have more diverse student populations. Academically, Whale Branch Elementary consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in South Carolina, with rankings between 587-641 out of 638-644 schools. The school's performance on state assessments is significantly below the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. Additionally, Whale Branch Elementary has a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, indicating that all students come from low-socioeconomic status backgrounds.

Despite the high per-student spending of $29,678 at Whale Branch Elementary and its relatively low student-teacher ratio, the school's academic outcomes remain poor. This suggests that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving student performance. The nearby schools, such as Lady's Island Elementary and Coosa Elementary, demonstrate significantly higher academic performance and more diverse student populations, indicating that factors beyond just funding and demographics may be contributing to Whale Branch Elementary's struggles. Addressing these issues will likely require a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to address the deeper systemic challenges within the school and the Beaufort 01 district.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 15 Stuart Point Road
       Seabrook, SC  29941


(843) 466-1000

District: Beaufort 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
587th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $29,678 Help


Students who attend Whale Branch Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Whale Branch Middle
High:    Whale Branch Early College High

Student/teacher ratio:  9.2 Help
Number of students:  371

Racial breakdown:

African American:
72.0%
Hispanic:
13.5%
Two or more races:
8.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Whale Branch Elementary ranks worse than 92% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks last among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Beaufort 01 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.01. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (72%), Hispanic (13.5%), two or more races (8.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Whale Branch Elementary is 9.2, which is the 4th best among 19 elementary schools in the Beaufort 01 School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Whale Branch Elementary employs 40 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Whale Branch Elementary is $29,678, which is the highest among 20 elementary schools in the Beaufort 01 School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Whale Branch Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Whale Branch Elementary 587th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Whale Branch Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:


Beaufort 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Beaufort 01 26th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Whale Branch Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Whale Branch Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 4.66 535th 542 1.3%
2004 4.28 545th 550 0.9%
2005 4.30 553rd 557 0.7%
2006 7.03 539th 559 3.6%
2007 8.63 543rd 566 4.1%
2008 10.00 553rd 577 4.2%
2009 8.83 558th 580 3.8%
2010 6.55 573rd 589 2.7%
2011 12.32 560th 597 6.2%
2012 11.64 553rd 594 6.9%
2013 26.02 495th 599 17.4%
2014 17.23 578th 630 8.3%
2015 16.99 585th 638 8.3%
2016 13.63 570th 619 7.9%
2017 17.35 562nd 639 12.1%
2018 12.84 569th 624 8.8%
2019 7.50 616th 643 4.2%
2021 6.39 609th 622 2.1%
2022 3.56 625th 625 0.0%
2023 4.00 641st 644 0.5%
2024 11.01 587th 638 8.0%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Whale Branch Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 17.80 530th 588 9.9%
2019 9.92 576th 600 4.0%
2021 7.57 568th 580 2.1%
2022 4.12 600th 600 0.0%
2023 4.65 605th 608 0.5%
2024 13.73 553rd 599 7.7%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Whale Branch Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.19 489th 570 14.2%
2019 5.89 575th 588 2.2%
2021 12.20 500th 554 9.7%
2022 3.03 573rd 573 0.0%
2023 4.45 575th 580 0.9%
2024 7.78 548th 565 3.0%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Whale Branch Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 9.35 547th 571 4.2%
2019 9.24 558th 590 5.4%
2021 2.99 560th 561 0.2%
2022 4.53 574th 579 0.9%
2023 3.86 577th 582 0.9%
2024 15.98 490th 568 13.7%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Whale Branch Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.30 351st 412 14.8%
2019 15.80 394th 421 6.4%
2021 26.38 283rd 350 19.1%
2022 8.53 391st 393 0.5%
2023 10.42 387th 394 1.8%
2024 24.28 315th 369 14.6%
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.

Whale Branch Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Whale Branch Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2000 108 342 2 7 0 n/a n/a 0 459
2001 135 387 3 13 0 n/a n/a 0 538
2002 123 348 0 13 0 n/a n/a 0 484
2003 123 348 0 13 0 n/a n/a 0 484
2004 119 310 0 15 0 n/a n/a 0 444
2005 112 319 1 16 0 n/a n/a 0 448
2006 92 262 0 12 1 n/a n/a 0 367
2007 74 232 1 17 1 n/a n/a 0 325
2008 77 260 2 16 1 n/a n/a 1 357
2009 60 202 2 15 0 n/a n/a 3 282
2010 43 282 3 8 0 n/a n/a 2 338
2011 31 262 1 11 0 0 2 0 307
2012 53 411 0 19 0 0 14 0 497
2013 54 425 0 22 0 0 15 0 516
2014 61 432 0 19 2 1 18 0 533
2015 62 471 3 26 2 1 18 0 583
2016 61 470 3 28 2 1 21 0 586
2017 62 434 0 27 2 1 22 0 548
2018 55 405 0 37 2 1 22 0 522
2019 41 382 0 42 1 1 19 0 486
2020 41 345 0 44 0 0 21 0 451
2021 26 282 0 45 0 0 23 0 376
2022 20 249 0 41 1 0 21 0 332
2023 23 267 0 50 0 0 31 0 371

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 Whale Branch Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 459 29.0 15.8 83.4
2001 538 35.0 15.4 77.3
2002 484 37.0 13.1 84.7
2003 484 37.0 13.1 84.7
2004 444 33.0 13.5 83.6
2005 448 34.0 13.2 88.4
2006 367 36.0 10.2 86.1
2007 325 43.5 7.5 83.1
2008 357 30.5 11.7 83.7
2009 282 30.5 9.2 83.5
2010 338 31.0 10.9 87.5
2011 307 31.0 9.9 82.1
2012 497 29.5 16.8 89.3
2013 516 38.5 13.4 93.2
2014 533 38.5 13.8 87.6
2015 583 39.0 14.9 93.8
2016 586 42.0 13.9 100
2017 548 40.0 13.7 100
2018 522 43.0 12.1 100
2019 486 42.0 11.5 100
2020 451 47.0 9.5 100
2021 376 45.0 8.3 100
2022 332 44.0 7.5 100
2023 371 40.0 9.2 100

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 Whale Branch Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2000 459 29.0 15.8 83.4
2001 538 35.0 15.4 77.3
2002 484 37.0 13.1 84.7
2003 484 37.0 13.1 84.7
2004 444 33.0 13.5 83.6
2005 448 34.0 13.2 88.4
2006 367 36.0 10.2 86.1
2007 325 43.5 7.5 83.1
2008 357 30.5 11.7 83.7
2009 282 30.5 9.2 83.5
2010 338 31.0 10.9 87.5
2011 307 31.0 9.9 82.1
2012 497 29.5 16.8 89.3
2013 516 38.5 13.4 93.2
2014 533 38.5 13.8 87.6
2015 583 39.0 14.9 93.8
2016 586 42.0 13.9 100
2017 548 40.0 13.7 100
2018 522 43.0 12.1 100
2019 486 42.0 11.5 100
2020 451 47.0 9.5 100
2021 376 45.0 8.3 100
2022 332 44.0 7.5 100
2023 371 40.0 9.2 100

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 Whale Branch Elementary

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YearPersonnel Expenditures from Federal FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from Federal FundsTotal Expenditures from Federal FundsPersonnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsNon-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $973 (7.1%) $1,013 (7.4%) $1,987 (14.5%) $8,947 (65.2%) $2,780 (20.3%) $11,727 (85.5%) $13,714
2020 $962 (6.3%) $334 (2.2%) $1,296 (8.6%) $10,140 (66.9%) $3,717 (24.5%) $13,857 (91.4%) $15,154
2021 $1,241 (7.3%) $1,125 (6.6%) $2,366 (13.9%) $11,758 (69.3%) $2,849 (16.8%) $14,607 (86.1%) $16,973
2022 $995 (5.2%) $1,191 (6.3%) $2,186 (11.5%) $13,881 (73.1%) $2,928 (15.4%) $16,809 (88.5%) $18,994
2023 $2,480 (8.4%) $4,252 (14.3%) $6,732 (22.7%) $18,916 (63.7%) $4,030 (13.6%) $22,946 (77.3%) $29,678

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Whale Branch 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 616th of 643 Elementary schoolsRanks 641st of 644 Elementary schools
 3.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Whale Branch Elementary)14.922.4
 7.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Beaufort 01)47.850.6
 2.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)49.753.5
 3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Whale Branch Elementary)17.619.4
 1.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Beaufort 01)5852.8
 5.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)57.753.6
 4.1%
4th Grade Science (Whale Branch Elementary)21.89.9
 11.9%
   4th Grade Science (Beaufort 01)53.444.3
 9.1%
   4th Grade Science (South Carolina)5246.6
 5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Whale Branch Elementary)24.419.7
 4.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Beaufort 01)50.455.6
 5.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)51.357.2
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Whale Branch Elementary)28.29.8
 18.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Beaufort 01)53.746.8
 6.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)50.547
 3.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students486371
 23.7%
African American382267
 30.1%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian00
Hispanic4250
 19%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White4123
 43.9%
Two or More Races1931
 63.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


Schools Near Whale Branch Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Whale Branch Elementary

Students who attend Whale Branch Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Whale Branch Middle
High : Whale Branch Early College High

Students at Whale Branch Elementary are 72% African American, 13% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 6% White.

In the 2022-23 school year, 371 students attended Whale Branch Elementary.

Whale Branch Elementary ranks in the bottom 8.0% of South Carolina elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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