Riverbank Elementary

Q: Is Riverbank Elementary a good school?

Riverbank Elementary ranks 466 th of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Riverbank Elementary is a public elementary school in West Columbia, South Carolina, serving 1,015 students in grades PK-5. The school stands out for its diverse student population, with a significant Hispanic and African American enrollment, but faces academic challenges, with lower proficiency rates compared to state and district averages.

Riverbank Elementary's diverse student body is a key differentiator, with 43.05% Hispanic and 22.07% African American students in the 2022-2023 school year. However, the school's academic performance lags behind, with only 39.4% of 3rd-graders proficient in ELA and 44.9% in Math, compared to state averages of 53.8% and 54.5%, respectively. The school's performance also varies significantly across different student subgroups, with African American students performing relatively well but Hispanic students and students with disabilities struggling.

Riverbank Elementary's challenges are further highlighted by its declining statewide ranking, from 338 out of 625 schools in 2021-2022 to 466 out of 638 schools in 2023-2024. When compared to nearby schools, such as Springdale Elementary in the same Lexington 02 district, Riverbank Elementary consistently underperforms. Additionally, the school's extremely high free and reduced-price lunch rate of 100% in 2022-2023 indicates that the majority of students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, which likely contributes to the academic challenges.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

160 Cougar Drive
West Columbia, SC 29169

(803) 936-3400

District: Lexington 02

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

Students who attend Riverbank Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Northside Middle
High:	Brookland-Cayce High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.9

Number of students: 1,015

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.1%

White:

26.3%

African American:

22.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Riverbank Elementary ranks worse than 73% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 3^rd among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Lexington 02 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 26.9. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Riverbank Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Lexington 02 School District. Student population at Riverbank Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (43.1%), White (26.3%), African American (22.1%). (See more...)

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

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Riverbank Elementary is 13.9. 4 elementary schools in the Lexington 02 School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Riverbank Elementary employs 73 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Riverbank Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Riverbank Elementary 466^th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Riverbank Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Disabled students:

Gifted and Talented students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Lexington 02:

SchoolDigger ranks Lexington 02 59^th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Riverbank Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	43.49	371^st	643	42.3%
2021	42.17	366^th	622	41.2%
2022	45.60	338^th	625	45.9%
2023	32.86	435^th	644	32.5%
2024	26.90	466^th	638	27.0%

See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	23.64	83^rd	104	20.2%
2021	25.28	67^th	84	20.2%
2022	30.25	60^th	84	28.6%
2023	24.96	54^th	72	25.0%
2024	30.47	53^rd	79	32.9%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	37.46	397^th	600	33.8%
2021	47.05	312^th	580	46.2%
2022	59.28	234^th	600	61.0%
2023	40.61	368^th	608	39.5%
2024	34.78	409^th	599	31.7%

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

Rank History for Female students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	42.48	353^rd	588	40.0%
2021	37.98	344^th	554	37.9%
2022	41.44	335^th	573	41.5%
2023	28.23	426^th	580	26.6%
2024	19.77	474^th	565	16.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	42.99	95^th	189	49.7%
2022	23.27	122^nd	151	19.2%
2023	18.60	158^th	174	9.2%
2024	22.61	121^st	143	15.4%

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

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2021	27.98	126^th	147	14.3%
2022	37.78	87^th	109	20.2%
2023	51.42	77^th	105	26.7%
2024	29.53	68^th	82	17.1%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	41.82	358^th	590	39.3%
2021	41.94	326^th	561	41.9%
2022	46.82	305^th	579	47.3%
2023	34.58	379^th	582	34.9%
2024	31.86	388^th	568	31.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	61.34	137^th	421	67.5%
2021	59.83	109^th	350	68.9%
2022	70.75	79^th	393	79.9%
2023	44.63	206^th	394	47.7%
2024	36.44	243^rd	369	34.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	24.61	91^st	116	21.6%
2021	29.78	58^th	86	32.6%
2022	34.54	82^nd	115	28.7%
2023	27.32	86^th	115	25.2%
2024	29.12	77^th	115	33.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Riverbank Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	59.21	197^th	472	58.3%
2021	62.47	160^th	439	63.6%
2022	56.31	209^th	455	54.1%
2023	50.44	249^th	463	46.2%
2024	52.90	227^th	441	48.5%

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.

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Riverbank Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2019	397	254	11	385	2	1	53	1103
2020	381	272	15	426	2	0	47	1143
2021	325	249	9	403	2	0	68	1056
2022	273	246	9	419	1	0	79	1027
2023	267	224	8	437	1	0	78	1015

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 Riverbank Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	1103	74.0	14.9	67
2020	1143	74.0	15.4	99.7
2021	1056	76.0	13.8	63.8
2022	1027	74.0	13.8	100
2023	1015	73.0	13.9	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 Riverbank Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	1103	74.0	14.9	67
2020	1143	74.0	15.4	99.7
2021	1056	76.0	13.8	63.8
2022	1027	74.0	13.8	100
2023	1015	73.0	13.9	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.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Riverbank 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 371^st of 643 Elementary schools	Ranks 435^th of 644 Elementary schools	9.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Riverbank Elementary)	37.5	41.4	3.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lexington 02)	37.3	40.3	3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	49.7	53.5	3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Riverbank Elementary)	54.6	44	10.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lexington 02)	50.3	40.5	9.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	57.7	53.6	4.1%
4th Grade Science (Riverbank Elementary)	46.9	31.7	15.2%
4th Grade Science (Lexington 02)	41.4	33.9	7.5%
4th Grade Science (South Carolina)	52	46.6	5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Riverbank Elementary)	48	46.8	1.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lexington 02)	37	44.2	7.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	51.3	57.2	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Riverbank Elementary)	48	38.7	9.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lexington 02)	39.9	36.5	3.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	50.5	47	3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Riverbank Elementary)	33.3	40.5	7.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Lexington 02)	30	40.4	10.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	41	55.2	14.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Riverbank Elementary)	36.8	38.6	1.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Lexington 02)	32.3	32.9	0.6%
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	1103	1015	8%
African American	254	224	11.8%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	11	8	27.3%
Hispanic	385	437	13.5%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	397	267	32.7%
Two or More Races	53	78	47.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	67%	100%	33%

Schools Near Riverbank 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 English Language Arts 8th 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	SC READY Mathematics 8th 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
Riverbank Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	160 Cougar Drive	West Columbia	29169	Lexington County	Lexington 02	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 936-3400	1,015	73	13.9	100.0%	267 (26.3%)	224 (22.1%)	437 (43.1%)	8 (0.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (7.7%)	26.9	466^th of 638 public elementary schools	27.0%		32.9	435^th of 644 public elementary schools	32.5%	31	39.4	45.6	38.4				44.9	39.5	27.6
Saluda River Academy for the Arts	Public, Magnet	K-5	1520 Duke Avenue	West Columbia	29169	Lexington County	Lexington 02	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 739-4095	344	29	11.8	100.0%	126 (36.6%)	107 (31.1%)	67 (19.5%)	8 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (10.5%)	39.8	384^th of 638 public elementary schools	39.8%		43.6	358^th of 644 public elementary schools	44.4%	26	58.8	53.4	47.4				42.9	41.6	28.9				$18,429	$1,513	$2,832	$4,345	$11,781	$2,304	$14,084
East Point Academy	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	Elementary Campus	West Columbia	29169	Lexington County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 926-5180	776	54	14.5	50.4%	343 (44.2%)	214 (27.6%)	73 (9.4%)	48 (6.2%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	94 (12.1%)	75.9	148^th of 638 public elementary schools	76.8%		75.6	149^th of 644 public elementary schools	76.9%	1	68.2	76.5	78.1	77.6	74.5	62.5	73.8	51.5	31.5	46.6	57.6	45.8	$9,210	$515	$187	$702	$6,351	$2,157	$8,507
H. B. Rhame Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 Arrowwood Drive	Columbia	29210	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 731-8900	446	30	15.1	100.0%	9 (2.0%)	391 (87.7%)	26 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.5%)	15.9	546^th of 638 public elementary schools	14.4%		17.1	549^th of 644 public elementary schools	14.8%	3	33.3	39.2	31.8				38.9	29.2	17.9				$14,671	$1,192	$1,556	$2,748	$10,092	$1,831	$11,923
Sandel Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2700 Seminole Road	Columbia	29210	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 731-8906	477	35	13.6	100.0%	14 (2.9%)	413 (86.6%)	19 (4.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.5%)	22.7	500^th of 638 public elementary schools	21.6%		16.6	552^nd of 644 public elementary schools	14.3%	52	33.3	41.4	36.9				34.9	38.5	34.2				$16,555	$1,073	$1,702	$2,775	$11,632	$2,148	$13,780
Edward E. Taylor Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 McRae Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 343-2974	225	17	13.2	100.0%	5 (2.2%)	197 (87.6%)	12 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.9%)	9.8	606^th of 638 public elementary schools	5.0%		21.7	517^th of 644 public elementary schools	19.7%	89	15.7	38.8	30.0				25.0	32.3	10.0				$21,479	$2,315	$1,979	$4,294	$14,593	$2,592	$17,185
Springdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	361 Wattling Road	West Columbia	29170	Lexington County	Lexington 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 739-4175	389	29	13.4	65.3%	209 (53.7%)	69 (17.7%)	66 (17.0%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (10.3%)	60.2	245^th of 638 public elementary schools	61.6%		67	207^th of 644 public elementary schools	67.9%	38	60.6	53.0	50.8				59.2	64.7	42.7				$14,679	$1,088	$2,429	$3,517	$9,304	$1,858	$11,162
Logan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	815 Elmwood Avenue	Columbia	29201	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 343-2915	233	22	10.5	100.0%	60 (25.8%)	154 (66.1%)	9 (3.9%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.6%)	57.3	270^th of 638 public elementary schools	57.7%		48.8	323^rd of 644 public elementary schools	49.8%	53	46.9	59.2	60.8				46.9	51.8	69.6				$21,802	$1,626	$1,756	$3,382	$15,534	$2,886	$18,420
Seven Oaks Elementary	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	2800 Ashland Road	Columbia	29210	Richland County	Lexington 05	No	Yes	No	Yes	(803) 476-8500	520	58	8.9	100.0%	57 (11.0%)	334 (64.2%)	39 (7.5%)	40 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.9%)	40 (7.7%)	21.1	512^th of 638 public elementary schools	19.7%		23.8	498^th of 644 public elementary schools	22.7%	14	33.8	50.0	32.0				37.7	38.2	16.0				$15,766	$1,222	$854	$2,076	$12,114	$1,576	$13,690
Oak Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	479 Oak Drive	Lexington	29073	Lexington County	Lexington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 821-0100	738	57	13.0	34.8%	391 (53.0%)	137 (18.6%)	123 (16.7%)	20 (2.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (8.9%)	49	326^th of 638 public elementary schools	48.9%		47.2	334^th of 644 public elementary schools	48.1%	8	51.8	57.4	53.3				44.7	55.3	38.3				$12,514	$994	$513	$1,507	$9,888	$1,118	$11,006

Frequently Asked Questions about Riverbank Elementary

Is Riverbank Elementary a good school?

Riverbank Elementary ranks 466^th of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Riverbank Elementary attend?

Students who attend Riverbank Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northside Middle
High : Brookland-Cayce High

How many students attend Riverbank Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,015 students attended Riverbank Elementary.

What district is Riverbank Elementary in?

Lexington 02

What is the racial makeup of Riverbank Elementary?

Students at Riverbank Elementary are 43% Hispanic, 26% White, 22% African American, 8% Two or more races.

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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.