Philip Simmons Elementary

Summary:

Philip Simmons Elementary is a public elementary school in Wando, South Carolina, serving 525 students in grades PK-4 and part of the Berkeley 01 school district. This high-performing school consistently ranks among the top 20% of elementary schools in the state, with students significantly outperforming their peers in the district and across South Carolina on standardized assessments.

Philip Simmons Elementary's academic excellence is evident in its strong performance across subjects. In 2023-2024, 73.5% of 3rd graders and 68.7% of 4th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to just 50.1% and 55.8% for the district, and 53.8% and 57.2% for the state. In Mathematics, 69.6% of 3rd graders and 69.5% of 4th graders were proficient or better, far exceeding the district's 44.5% and 45%, and the state's 54.5% and 51%. The school's 4th grade students also outperformed their peers on the SCPASS Science assessment, with 50.5% proficient or better, compared to 40.2% for the district and 46.6% for the state.

While Philip Simmons Elementary's academic achievements are impressive, the school's student population differs significantly from the surrounding area. The school has a much higher percentage of White students (76.38%) compared to the district and state, and a lower percentage of African American (14.1%) and Hispanic (4.38%) students. Additionally, the school serves a more affluent community, with only 20.95% of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, lower than the district and state averages. This socioeconomic factor, along with the school's higher spending per student ($11,966), may contribute to its strong academic performance and should be further explored to understand how these resources are utilized to support student learning.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

 2095 Seven Sticks Drive
       Wando, SC  29492


(843) 471-2580

District: Berkeley 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
89th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,966 Help


Students who attend Philip Simmons Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Philip Simmons Middle
High:    Philip Simmons High

Student/teacher ratio:  15.4 Help
Number of students:  525

Racial breakdown:

White:
76.4%
African American:
14.1%
Two or more races:
5.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  21% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Philip Simmons Elementary ranks better than 86.1% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 2nd among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Berkeley 01 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 84.54. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Philip Simmons Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Berkeley 01 School District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Philip Simmons Elementary is $11,966, which is the 13th highest among 23 elementary schools in the Berkeley 01 School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Philip Simmons Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Philip Simmons Elementary 89th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Philip Simmons Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
White students:


Berkeley 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Berkeley 01 37th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Philip Simmons Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Philip Simmons Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 78.15 127th 643 80.2%
2021 79.15 122nd 622 80.4%
2022 80.31 114th 625 81.8%
2023 75.94 146th 644 77.3%
2024 84.54 89th 638 86.1%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Philip Simmons Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.30 197th 588 66.5%
2019 40.31 379th 600 36.8%
2021 50.76 277th 580 52.2%
2022 57.96 248th 600 58.7%
2023 41.74 361st 608 40.6%
2024 49.31 305th 599 49.1%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Philip Simmons Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 88.84 47th 570 91.8%
2019 80.53 99th 588 83.2%
2021 81.32 91st 554 83.6%
2022 80.91 104th 573 81.8%
2023 77.51 119th 580 79.5%
2024 84.12 77th 565 86.4%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Philip Simmons Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 53.71 63rd 174 63.8%
2024 57.46 57th 143 60.1%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Philip Simmons Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 77.74 116th 571 79.7%
2019 72.37 150th 590 74.6%
2021 70.77 146th 561 74.0%
2022 74.70 141st 579 75.6%
2023 68.40 174th 582 70.1%
2024 81.95 92nd 568 83.8%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Philip Simmons Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 28.88 311th 394 21.1%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Philip Simmons Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.47 42nd 457 90.8%
2019 78.35 76th 472 83.9%
2021 59.84 177th 439 59.7%
2022 68.35 134th 455 70.5%
2023 70.98 132nd 463 71.5%
2024 76.80 87th 441 80.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for White 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.

Philip Simmons 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 Philip Simmons Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2017 202 65 4 12 1 0 13 0 297
2018 233 73 7 15 1 0 16 0 345
2019 275 81 8 16 1 0 23 0 404
2020 335 72 8 23 1 1 27 0 467
2021 316 64 5 24 0 0 22 0 431
2022 380 68 3 20 0 0 30 0 501
2023 401 74 0 23 0 0 27 0 525

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 Philip Simmons Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2017 297 23.0 12.9 29.6
2018 345 23.0 15.0 26.4
2019 404 25.0 16.1 42.6
2020 467 29.0 16.1 18.4
2021 431 30.0 14.3 17.9
2022 501 30.4 16.4 16.6
2023 525 34.0 15.4 21

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 Philip Simmons Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2017 297 23.0 12.9 29.6
2018 345 23.0 15.0 26.4
2019 404 25.0 16.1 42.6
2020 467 29.0 16.1 18.4
2021 431 30.0 14.3 17.9
2022 501 30.4 16.4 16.6
2023 525 34.0 15.4 21

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 Philip Simmons 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 $643 (6.0%) $517 (4.8%) $1,160 (10.7%) $8,141 (75.4%) $1,502 (13.9%) $9,643 (89.3%) $10,803
2020 $195 (1.7%) $43 (0.4%) $237 (2.0%) $9,807 (83.2%) $1,745 (14.8%) $11,552 (98.0%) $11,789
2021 $242 (3.2%) $257 (3.4%) $499 (6.5%) $6,813 (89.4%) $307 (4.0%) $7,120 (93.5%) $7,619
2022 $378 (3.3%) $636 (5.6%) $1,014 (9.0%) $8,885 (78.7%) $1,385 (12.3%) $10,270 (91.0%) $11,284
2023 $1,050 (8.8%) $949 (7.9%) $2,000 (16.7%) $8,386 (70.1%) $1,580 (13.2%) $9,966 (83.3%) $11,966

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Philip Simmons 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 127th of 643 Elementary schoolsRanks 146th of 644 Elementary schools
 2.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Philip Simmons Elementary)60.375
 14.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Berkeley 01)50.951.9
 1%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)49.753.5
 3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Philip Simmons Elementary)61.675
 13.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Berkeley 01)52.946.5
 6.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)57.753.6
 4.1%
4th Grade Science (Philip Simmons Elementary)73.750.5
 23.2%
   4th Grade Science (Berkeley 01)53.640.2
 13.4%
   4th Grade Science (South Carolina)5246.6
 5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Philip Simmons Elementary)69.862.4
 7.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Berkeley 01)52.553.9
 1.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)51.357.2
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Philip Simmons Elementary)59.248.3
 10.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Berkeley 01)46.437.9
 8.5%
   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 Students404525
 30%
African American8174
 8.6%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian80
 100%
Hispanic1623
 43.8%
Pacific Islander00
White275401
 45.8%
Two or More Races2327
 17.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients42.6%21%
 21.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Philip Simmons Elementary

In the 2022-23 school year, 525 students attended Philip Simmons Elementary.

Students who attend Philip Simmons Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Philip Simmons Middle
High : Philip Simmons High

Philip Simmons Elementary ranks 89th of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Philip Simmons Elementary are 76% White, 14% African American, 5% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.


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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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