Killian Elementary

Summary:

Killian Elementary is a public elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving 742 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Richland 02 School District, which is ranked 33 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Killian Elementary stands out for its significantly higher percentage of African American students (85.04%) compared to nearby schools, which range from 42.05% to 68.25% African American. However, the school's academic performance is consistently lower than the district and state averages, with its 3rd-grade ELA proficiency rate at 49.1% in 2023-2024, compared to 51% for Richland 02 and 53.8% for the state. Killian Elementary has also consistently ranked in the bottom half of South Carolina elementary schools, earning a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Additionally, the school has a 100% free/reduced lunch rate, indicating a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, which is significantly higher than the surrounding schools.

Despite Killian Elementary's higher spending per student ($14,416 in 2022-2023) compared to nearby schools, which range from $11,509 to $13,830 per student, the school's academic performance remains below average. This suggests that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving educational outcomes. The nearby schools, such as E.L. Wright Middle and Round Top Elementary, have significantly higher academic performance and rankings, indicating that there may be opportunities for Killian Elementary to learn from and collaborate with these higher-performing schools to improve its own practices.


Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-5

 2621 Clemson Road
       Columbia, SC  29229


(803) 699-2981

District: Richland 02

SchoolDigger Rank:
452nd of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,416 Help


Students who attend Killian Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Longleaf Middle
High:    Westwood High

Student/teacher ratio:  13.2 Help
Number of students:  742

Racial breakdown:

African American:
85.0%
Hispanic:
6.3%
Two or more races:
5.1%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


 See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

 Compare Killian Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Killian Elementary ranks worse than 70.8% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 18th among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Richland 02 School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 29.16. (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 Killian Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Richland 02 School District.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Killian Elementary is $14,416, which is the 7th highest among 22 elementary schools in the Richland 02 School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Killian Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Killian Elementary 452nd of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Killian Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Richland 02:

SchoolDigger ranks Richland 02 33rd of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Killian Elementary.

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Rank History for Killian Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Killian Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2003 59.29 232nd 542 57.2%
2004 46.16 342nd 550 37.8%
2005 43.73 356th 557 36.1%
2006 55.17 279th 559 50.1%
2007 30.08 450th 566 20.5%
2008 27.63 473rd 577 18.0%
2009 38.99 395th 580 31.9%
2010 48.22 329th 589 44.1%
2011 41.20 401st 597 32.8%
2012 33.28 447th 594 24.7%
2013 34.96 427th 599 28.7%
2014 43.44 392nd 630 37.8%
2015 40.91 382nd 638 40.1%
2016 37.10 396th 619 36.0%
2017 38.47 393rd 639 38.5%
2018 44.96 335th 624 46.3%
2019 50.37 317th 643 50.7%
2021 17.89 508th 622 18.3%
2022 26.59 457th 625 26.9%
2023 36.65 408th 644 36.6%
2024 29.16 452nd 638 29.2%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Killian Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 54.11 257th 588 56.3%
2019 59.99 240th 600 60.0%
2021 22.67 467th 580 19.5%
2022 33.66 413th 600 31.2%
2023 47.80 308th 608 49.3%
2024 36.85 395th 599 34.1%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Killian Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.44 293rd 570 48.6%
2019 49.06 313th 588 46.8%
2021 20.48 450th 554 18.8%
2022 25.97 432nd 573 24.6%
2023 33.72 391st 580 32.6%
2024 26.71 426th 565 24.6%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Killian Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 57.55 53rd 161 67.1%
2022 48.57 77th 151 49.0%
2023 28.88 119th 174 31.6%
2024 27.02 114th 143 20.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Killian Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.39 348th 571 39.1%
2019 47.83 315th 590 46.6%
2021 13.13 500th 561 10.9%
2022 27.76 422nd 579 27.1%
2023 37.15 366th 582 37.1%
2024 30.63 395th 568 30.5%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Killian Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 79.14 45th 412 89.1%
2019 85.69 31st 421 92.6%
2021 51.40 146th 350 58.3%
2022 68.53 87th 393 77.9%
2023 71.63 79th 394 79.9%
2024 59.14 125th 369 66.1%
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.

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





Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)
50%

0%

0%

0%

50%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Monday, August 28, 2017

Open Quote I loved this school! My daughter started Killian and was having problems with her Math they help her my daughter is a A student! Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, August 21, 2017

Open Quote My children haven't even start killian yet, and I was calling for the last 3 weeks to finishing registering them. I haven't received a call back yet. I call this morning I was asking. To speak to the school registrar and the assistant Secretary was rude and hung up the phone. Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, November 8, 2013

Open Quote Our son attended Killian for one day too long. We had incidences of bullying that were addressed to the assistant vice principal and the teacher herself, the children were talked to but later on continued to bully. The staff are not very welcoming, the teacher that my son had was non compassionate and didn't take care of my sons issues. I wanted a good parent teacher relationship but found her unapproachable. We are currently finding him a new school to attend where our son will be happier to attend and will excel unlike he has at Killian. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Killian Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1999 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 598 598
2000 135 437 3 15 2 n/a n/a 0 592
2001 86 462 4 9 1 n/a n/a 0 562
2002 63 461 2 7 1 n/a n/a 1 535
2003 63 461 2 7 1 n/a n/a 1 535
2004 43 448 0 10 0 n/a n/a 2 503
2005 59 519 4 22 0 n/a n/a 13 617
2006 69 549 8 27 0 n/a n/a 28 681
2007 54 508 11 40 0 n/a n/a 0 613
2008 58 555 7 38 0 n/a n/a 23 681
2009 45 526 9 36 0 n/a n/a 14 630
2010 47 538 13 34 0 n/a n/a 7 639
2011 55 571 15 42 1 0 10 0 694
2012 50 591 12 47 1 0 19 0 720
2013 47 614 6 40 2 1 17 0 727
2014 45 628 5 53 1 1 22 0 755
2015 50 613 2 50 1 1 20 0 737
2016 44 634 3 57 2 0 27 0 767
2017 40 644 1 66 2 2 26 2 783
2018 44 595 3 63 1 0 25 0 731
2019 44 550 0 63 2 0 33 0 692
2020 40 554 1 67 1 2 39 0 704
2021 23 545 1 63 2 0 38 0 672
2022 17 589 2 51 1 1 48 0 709
2023 20 631 5 47 1 0 38 0 742

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 Killian Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 598 41.0 14.6 42.3
2000 592 43.0 13.8 45.3
2001 562 45.0 12.5 49.1
2002 535 47.0 11.4 53.4
2003 535 47.0 11.4 53.4
2004 503 42.0 12.0 57.1
2005 617 44.0 14.0 63.7
2006 681 53.0 12.8 62.6
2007 613 60.0 10.2 66.1
2008 681 47.0 14.5 66.7
2009 630 50.0 12.6 67.9
2010 639 44.1 14.4 69.9
2011 694 48.9 14.1 66.1
2012 720 45.4 15.8 58.2
2013 727 51.4 14.1 71.1
2014 755 51.0 14.8 73.4
2015 737 55.0 13.4 57.9
2016 767 61.0 12.5 67.8
2017 783 55.0 14.2 67.7
2018 731 55.0 13.2 65.8
2019 692 52.0 13.3 73.4
2020 704 50.0 14.0 99.6
2021 672 50.0 13.4 74.3
2022 709 51.0 13.9 100
2023 742 56.0 13.2 100

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 Killian Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 598 41.0 14.6 42.3
2000 592 43.0 13.8 45.3
2001 562 45.0 12.5 49.1
2002 535 47.0 11.4 53.4
2003 535 47.0 11.4 53.4
2004 503 42.0 12.0 57.1
2005 617 44.0 14.0 63.7
2006 681 53.0 12.8 62.6
2007 613 60.0 10.2 66.1
2008 681 47.0 14.5 66.7
2009 630 50.0 12.6 67.9
2010 639 44.1 14.4 69.9
2011 694 48.9 14.1 66.1
2012 720 45.4 15.8 58.2
2013 727 51.4 14.1 71.1
2014 755 51.0 14.8 73.4
2015 737 55.0 13.4 57.9
2016 767 61.0 12.5 67.8
2017 783 55.0 14.2 67.7
2018 731 55.0 13.2 65.8
2019 692 52.0 13.3 73.4
2020 704 50.0 14.0 99.6
2021 672 50.0 13.4 74.3
2022 709 51.0 13.9 100
2023 742 56.0 13.2 100

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 Killian 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 $687 (5.8%) $675 (5.7%) $1,362 (11.4%) $9,032 (75.6%) $1,551 (13.0%) $10,583 (88.6%) $11,945
2020 $779 (6.6%) $529 (4.5%) $1,308 (11.1%) $9,101 (77.3%) $1,365 (11.6%) $10,466 (88.9%) $11,774
2021 $1,369 (10.6%) $449 (3.5%) $1,818 (14.0%) $9,746 (75.1%) $1,410 (10.9%) $11,156 (86.0%) $12,974
2022 $1,756 (13.0%) $608 (4.5%) $2,364 (17.5%) $9,795 (72.6%) $1,324 (9.8%) $11,119 (82.5%) $13,483
2023 $1,670 (11.6%) $1,145 (7.9%) $2,815 (19.5%) $10,150 (70.4%) $1,451 (10.1%) $11,601 (80.5%) $14,416

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Killian 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 317th of 643 Elementary schoolsRanks 408th of 644 Elementary schools
 14.1%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Killian Elementary)47.440.8
 6.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Richland 02)51.152.3
 1.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)49.753.5
 3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Killian Elementary)57.437.1
 20.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Richland 02)6252.1
 9.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)57.753.6
 4.1%
4th Grade Science (Killian Elementary)4126.4
 14.6%
   4th Grade Science (Richland 02)51.146.9
 4.2%
   4th Grade Science (South Carolina)5246.6
 5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Killian Elementary)52.852.8
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Richland 02)53.760
 6.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)51.357.2
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Killian Elementary)47.942
 5.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Richland 02)53.348.9
 4.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)50.547
 3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Killian Elementary)34.754.5
 19.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Richland 02)44.358.8
 14.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)4155.2
 14.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Killian Elementary)45.238.7
 6.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Richland 02)51.145.4
 5.7%
   5th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)45.444.6
 0.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students692742
 7.2%
African American550631
 14.7%
American Indian21
 50%
Asian05
Hispanic6347
 25.4%
Pacific Islander00
White4420
 54.5%
Two or More Races3338
 15.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients73.4%100%
 26.6%


Schools Near Killian Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Killian Elementary

Students at Killian Elementary are 85% African American, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% White.

In the 2022-23 school year, 742 students attended Killian Elementary.

Killian Elementary ranks 452nd of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Students who attend Killian Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Longleaf Middle
High : Westwood High


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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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