East Point Academy

Summary:

East Point Academy is a public charter elementary school serving 776 students in grades PK-8 in West Columbia, South Carolina. The school is part of the School Public Charter School District, which is ranked 25th out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating. East Point Academy has maintained a consistent 4-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past decade, ranking in the top quarter of South Carolina elementary schools.

East Point Academy consistently outperforms the district and state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, 68.2% of 3rd graders, 76.5% of 4th graders, and 78.1% of 5th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 51.1% and 53.8% for the Lexington 02 district and state, respectively. The school's performance is particularly strong for its African American and White student subgroups, ranking 48th out of 369 South Carolina elementary schools for its African American students and 118th out of 441 for its White students in ELA proficiency. East Point Academy maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.9 to 14.6 over the past three years, and spends approximately $9,210 per student, which is higher than the state average.

When compared to the nearby district-run schools, such as Cayce Elementary, Hyatt Park Elementary, and Carver-Lyon Elementary, East Point Academy consistently outperforms them in academic proficiency, particularly in ELA. The school's diverse student population, with 44.2% White, 27.58% African American, 9.41% Hispanic, and 6.19% Asian students, is not reflected in many of the nearby district-run schools, which tend to have higher concentrations of either African American or White students. East Point Academy's ability to effectively serve a population with greater needs, as evidenced by its 50.39% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, is a testament to its success.


Detail:

Public, Charter PK, KG-8

 Elementary Campus
       West Columbia, SC  29169


(803) 926-5180

District: School Public Charter School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
148th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,210 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  13.6 Help
Number of students:  752

Racial breakdown:

White:
44.3%
African American:
28.7%
Two or more races:
12.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  47.7% Help


 See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details East Point Academy ranks better than 76.8% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 3rd among 11 ranked elementary schools in the School Public Charter School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 75.88. (See more...)
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Compare Details East Point Academy ranks better than 88.6% of middle schools in South Carolina. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 87.59. (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
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Compare Details Student population at East Point Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (44.3%), African American (28.7%), two or more races (12.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 47.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at East Point Academy is 13.6. 9 elementary schools in the School Public Charter School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare East Point Academy employs 55 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at East Point Academy is $9,210, which is the 7th highest among 11 elementary schools in the School Public Charter School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

East Point Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks East Point Academy 148th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See East Point Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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

SchoolDigger ranks East Point Academy 37th of 325 South Carolina public middle schools. (See East Point Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


School Public Charter School District:

SchoolDigger ranks School Public Charter School District 25th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for East Point Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2014 71.63 160th 630 74.6%
2015 64.32 180th 638 71.8%
2016 72.15 153rd 619 75.3%
2017 81.00 106th 639 83.4%
2018 69.89 163rd 624 73.9%
2019 71.33 171st 643 73.4%
2021 71.45 165th 622 73.5%
2022 75.86 145th 625 76.8%
2023 75.59 149th 644 76.9%
2024 75.88 148th 638 76.8%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 56.65 238th 588 59.5%
2019 66.29 194th 600 67.7%
2021 57.89 228th 580 60.7%
2022 71.37 146th 600 75.7%
2023 73.02 139th 608 77.1%
2024 75.43 119th 599 80.1%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 66.68 173rd 570 69.6%
2019 69.31 172nd 588 70.7%
2021 71.93 142nd 554 74.4%
2022 68.21 167th 573 70.9%
2023 69.56 173rd 580 70.2%
2024 66.55 184th 565 67.4%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 67.65 167th 571 70.8%
2019 64.03 216th 590 63.4%
2021 65.73 170th 561 69.7%
2022 80.71 101st 579 82.6%
2023 77.35 114th 582 80.4%
2024 77.46 118th 568 79.2%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 73.43 70th 412 83.0%
2019 68.65 102nd 421 75.8%
2021 64.36 92nd 350 73.7%
2022 61.98 120th 393 69.5%
2023 73.80 68th 394 82.7%
2024 79.49 48th 369 87.0%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 81.50 73rd 457 84.0%
2019 84.14 53rd 472 88.8%
2021 72.58 109th 439 75.2%
2022 75.60 93rd 455 79.6%
2023 75.64 104th 463 77.5%
2024 71.80 118th 441 73.2%
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

Rank History for East Point Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2016 67.54 82nd 303 72.9%
2017 70.27 78th 317 75.4%
2018 70.68 76th 303 74.9%
2019 77.94 62nd 315 80.3%
2021 66.76 91st 311 70.7%
2022 74.16 69th 310 77.7%
2023 82.90 50th 325 84.6%
2024 87.59 37th 325 88.6%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 50.54 125th 280 55.4%
2019 74.45 56th 289 80.6%
2021 55.59 109th 288 62.2%
2022 62.37 86th 300 71.3%
2023 79.03 50th 313 84.0%
2024 87.74 25th 307 91.9%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.41 84th 281 70.1%
2019 78.20 58th 296 80.4%
2021 74.73 58th 279 79.2%
2022 68.39 80th 290 72.4%
2023 83.89 42nd 299 86.0%
2024 74.68 61st 294 79.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 65.92 89th 284 68.7%
2019 73.83 69th 296 76.7%
2021 48.42 132nd 279 52.7%
2022 78.61 56th 292 80.8%
2023 76.60 63rd 303 79.2%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 49.06 107th 235 54.5%
2022 65.92 51st 249 79.5%
2023 81.04 25th 253 90.1%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at East Point Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 77.64 52nd 258 79.8%
2022 62.29 90th 249 63.9%
2023 85.80 30th 260 88.5%
2024 92.07 19th 255 92.5%
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.

East Point Academy 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: 3.4)
60%

0%

0%

0%

40%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Thursday, May 23, 2019

Open Quote East Point Academy has been like a second home to us. The teachers and administration love and nurture our child daily, and she is thriving. We love our school! Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, October 25, 2018

Open Quote This is a horrible school!!! The teachers are physically and verbally abusive. The staff supports them. The kids are pressured to learn Mandarin at a fast pace and certain students are not checked on to see if they understand or if they are retaining the information. They do not place a high academic level on the kid's native language or standard curriculum. They are only concerned with Mandarin and half of the teachers are not certified to teach anything but, Leaving children not properly educated. If you want to send your child to a school that may abuse your child and lacks compassion or emotion depth. Then EPA is for you. If you want your child to be targeted or labeled after the staff deems them challenging then EPA is for you. If you want to be part of a community that is all about publicity and not the heart of the child then EPA is for you. I write this review based off of my experience. My son attended Pre-K his teacher was fantastic.Then he had a Kindergarten teacher who told him good job when the activity required him to write words and he was scribbling. I removed him immediately. She also was not willing to go the extra mile like teachers or anyone in life has to when you are in a position working with people. Be not weary in well doing... Anyhow this year I say ok almost 2 years have passed let's give it a shot again, for one I had no problem with the school just the teacher's slack-ability, this year rolled around everything was awesome!! Met his teacher liked her, the little I knew. Then the messages start coming oh your son is very energetic is he always like that? My response in my head well of course he is we are a free people not a tamed people. Then it goes from what other options do I have as a parent to frustration as a teacher. Then one day I pick my son up and he is crying he states his Mandarin teacher hit him in the face with a bag in front of everyone and denied him the opportunity to go get ice. I see a fresh cut with blood. Called the authorities and the teacher is still there!! RUN for the hills this school is horrible!! The principal saw the cut and bruise and moved him to another class. Since I called the authorities the school is NOT conducting an investigation, which strikes me as abnormal. They say I have tied their hands. This is not the first time this has happened....Be AWARE and then BEWARE. He will be changing schools when this is over! Close Quote


by a principal
Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Open Quote This is an awesome school which focuses on academic rigor, language immersion and a school culture where every student is treated with value. Close Quote


by a parent
Monday, December 19, 2016

Open Quote We love this school. Staff and teachers are great and our children are thriving emotionally, mentally and intellectually. Close Quote


by a parent
Thursday, April 2, 2015

Open Quote I have a hard time believing that children will thrive in the long-term with such a tumultuous environment. Ever since it opened in 2010, the school is losing teachers, staff, and existing students faster than a bad toupee in a Cat 5 hurricane. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Open Quote Are you a tiger mom that only cares about your kids learning Mandarin?
Do you care more about having the "smartest kid" than about their souls or minds? Teaching them right from wrong?
Do you want to squeeze all happiness in their childhood away?
Do you not mind that your kid gets bullied mercilessly, as long as you can parade them like a parrot to your friends and family? "Look, MY kid knows Mandarin, come and jump through the hoop little Jack!"
Do you not care if the other subject matter is dismally behind?
Do you have no conscience as to how EMPLOYEES are treated? That teachers, students, and support staff are LEAVING right and left? That, literally, EPA has significantly higher TURNOVER than schools in the horrible Corridor of Shame?
Are you willing to sacrifice the vulnerable in the belief your kid will be the best?
Are you willing to turn your head to all sorts of corruption as long as YOUR family is not the one hurt?
Are you willing to sacrifice your relationships for your kid to learn Mandarin?
Are you willing to let your little girl be photographed in the bathroom, as long as they can show off for you?
Then THIS is the school for you!!! Close Quote


by a parent
Friday, August 22, 2014

Open Quote My son has attended East Point Academy since its inception and my daughter soon followed. Honestly, we weren't looking for a new school but when I learned that a language immersion school was opening, I had to pursue this opportunity. I've been thrilled with the quality of the facility, curriculum, activities and most importantly the faculty and staff. My children are thriving academically and socially. It is amazing to me that they can speak and write in Mandarin.

Within 3 years of its inception the school has received an A+ Federal Rating and a 100% on the SC School Report Card. Their recent PASS score results are impressive and outrank the state and other Charter Schools across grade levels and subject matter. Close Quote



Enrollment information for East Point Academy

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2012 31 15 22 3 0 0 10 0 81
2013 89 43 23 8 0 0 19 0 182
2014 142 110 20 12 0 0 25 0 309
2015 216 178 22 15 1 0 37 0 469
2016 231 198 29 17 1 0 41 0 517
2017 228 177 31 18 1 0 40 0 495
2018 210 182 37 30 2 0 53 0 514
2019 252 250 34 51 1 0 60 0 648
2020 297 276 42 45 1 0 73 0 734
2021 301 227 33 53 2 0 81 0 697
2022 337 251 43 54 2 0 92 0 779
2023 343 214 48 73 3 1 94 0 776
2024 333 216 46 55 4 1 97 0 752

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 East Point Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2012 81 7.5 10.8 27.2
2013 182 14.5 12.5 34.1
2014 309 33.6 9.1 46.9
2015 469 33.0 14.2 40.1
2016 517 35.0 14.7 43.1
2017 495 42.0 11.7 42.8
2018 514 43.3 11.8 40.9
2019 648 43.5 14.8 45.1
2020 734 53.0 13.8 44.7
2021 697 54.0 12.9 49.1
2022 779 53.0 14.6 41.2
2023 776 53.5 14.5 50.4
2024 752 55.0 13.6 47.7

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 East Point Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2012 81 7.5 10.8 27.2
2013 182 14.5 12.5 34.1
2014 309 33.6 9.1 46.9
2015 469 33.0 14.2 40.1
2016 517 35.0 14.7 43.1
2017 495 42.0 11.7 42.8
2018 514 43.3 11.8 40.9
2019 648 43.5 14.8 45.1
2020 734 53.0 13.8 44.7
2021 697 54.0 12.9 49.1
2022 779 53.0 14.6 41.2
2023 776 53.5 14.5 50.4
2024 752 55.0 13.6 47.7

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 East Point Academy

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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 $175 (2.0%) $96 (1.1%) $271 (3.0%) $6,612 (74.4%) $2,005 (22.6%) $8,617 (96.9%) $8,889
2023 $515 (5.6%) $187 (2.0%) $702 (7.6%) $6,351 (69.0%) $2,157 (23.4%) $8,507 (92.4%) $9,210

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

Impact of COVID-19 on East Point Academy

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 171st of 643 Elementary schoolsRanks 149th of 644 Elementary schools
 3.5%
Ranks 62nd of 315 Middle schoolsRanks 50th of 325 Middle schools
 4.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (East Point Academy)61.568.9
 7.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (School Public Charter School District)5052.7
 2.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)49.753.5
 3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (East Point Academy)6867.6
 0.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (School Public Charter School District)54.754.9
 0.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)57.753.6
 4.1%
4th Grade Science (East Point Academy)63.652.8
 10.8%
   4th Grade Science (School Public Charter School District)45.943.2
 2.7%
   4th Grade Science (South Carolina)5246.6
 5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (East Point Academy)69.778.4
 8.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (School Public Charter School District)51.960
 8.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)51.357.2
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (East Point Academy)54.636.3
 18.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (School Public Charter School District)46.546.3
 0.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)50.547
 3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (East Point Academy)43.670
 26.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (School Public Charter School District)42.658.7
 16.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)4155.2
 14.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (East Point Academy)39.351.5
 12.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (School Public Charter School District)40.143.1
 3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)45.444.6
 0.8%
6th Grade Science (East Point Academy)58.252.8
 5.4%
   6th Grade Science (School Public Charter School District)49.646.8
 2.8%
   6th Grade Science (South Carolina)47.143
 4.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (East Point Academy)6076.4
 16.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (School Public Charter School District)46.961.4
 14.5%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)41.153.4
 12.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (East Point Academy)58.251.4
 6.8%
   6th Grade Mathematics (School Public Charter School District)45.437
 8.4%
   6th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)43.936.7
 7.2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (East Point Academy)63.362.5
 0.8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (School Public Charter School District)50.657.8
 7.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)4450.1
 6.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (East Point Academy)38.839.2
 0.4%
   7th Grade Mathematics (School Public Charter School District)36.835
 1.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)35.331
 4.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (East Point Academy)58.467.5
 9.1%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (School Public Charter School District)51.361.3
 10%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)44.553.1
 8.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (East Point Academy)29.253.5
 24.3%
   8th Grade Mathematics (School Public Charter School District)34.435.9
 1.5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)36.631.6
 5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students648776
 19.8%
African American250214
 14.4%
American Indian13
 200%
Asian3448
 41.2%
Hispanic5173
 43.1%
Pacific Islander01
White252343
 36.1%
Two or More Races6094
 56.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients45.1%50.4%
 5.3%


Schools Near East Point Academy









Frequently Asked Questions about East Point Academy

In the 2023-24 school year, 752 students attended East Point Academy.

East Point Academy ranks 148th of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at East Point Academy are 44% White, 29% African American, 13% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 6% Asian.


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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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