Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Summary:

Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy is a public charter middle school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving grades 2-8 with a total enrollment of 231 students. 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.

Despite its relatively low student-teacher ratio of 8.8, Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy consistently ranks among the lowest-performing middle schools in South Carolina, with a 0-star rating. The school's performance is significantly lower than the state and district averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels, particularly for its White, male, and low socioeconomic status student subgroups. However, the school's performance for its disabled student subgroup is relatively stronger, ranking in the top 50% of schools in the state in 2021-2022. The school has also seen a decrease in the percentage of White students, from 64.61% in 2021-2022 to 58.87% in 2022-2023, while the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 25.84% to 37.66%.

Compared to the nearby schools, such as Longleaf Middle, Northside Middle, and Crayton Middle, which generally perform better academically with higher proficiency rates and state rankings, Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy faces significant challenges. The factors contributing to the school's low performance, despite its relatively low student-teacher ratio, warrant further investigation and targeted interventions to improve educational outcomes for all students.

Detail:

Public, Charter 2-8

6015 N Main Street
Columbia, SC 29203

(803) 900-0664

District: School Public Charter School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
316^th of 325 South Carolina Middle Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 8.8

Number of students: 231

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.9%

African American:

29.4%

Hispanic:

6.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 37.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy ranks worse than 100% of elementary schools in South Carolina. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.17. (See more...)

Compare Details Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy ranks worse than 97.2% of middle schools in South Carolina. It also ranks last among 3 ranked middle schools in the School Public Charter School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.75. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy has the smallest middle school student body size in the School Public Charter School District. Racial makeup is: White (58.9%), African American (29.4%), Hispanic (6.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 37.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the School Public Charter School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy is 8.8, which is the lowest among 3 middle schools in the School Public Charter School District! (See more...)

Compare Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy employs 26 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy 638^th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Disabled students:

Male students:

SchoolDigger ranks Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy 316^th of 325 South Carolina public middle schools. (See Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Disabled students:

School Public Charter School District:

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

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Rank History for Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	6.72	627^th	644	2.6%
2024	2.17	638^th	638	0.0%

See the entire list of South Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	2.86	608^th	608	0.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	6.80	561^st	580	3.3%

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

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	37.99	96^th	151	36.4%
2023	23.56	141^st	174	19.0%
2024	22.58	122^nd	143	14.7%

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

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	10.73	532^nd	579	8.1%
2023	10.56	536^th	582	7.9%
2024	0.51	568^th	568	0.0%

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

Rank History for elementary school White students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	1.27	454^th	455	0.2%
2023	1.09	462^nd	463	0.2%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: South Carolina Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	8.07	315^th	325	3.1%
2024	8.75	316^th	325	2.8%

See the entire list of South Carolina Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	2.86	313^th	313	0.0%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	6.80	294^th	299	1.7%

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

Rank History for middle school Disabled students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	66.40	33^rd	183	82.0%
2023	31.22	138^th	187	26.2%
2024	52.56	65^th	177	63.3%

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

Rank History for middle school Male students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	19.52	232^nd	292	20.5%
2023	9.40	286^th	303	5.6%

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

Rank History for middle school White students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	1.75	260^th	260	0.0%

See the entire list of Best South Carolina Middle 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 Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2022	115	42	1	8	0	0	12	0	178
2023	136	68	0	14	0	0	13	0	231

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 Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	178	23.7	7.4	25.8
2023	231	26.0	8.8	37.7

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 Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2022	178	23.7	7.4	25.8
2023	231	26.0	8.8	37.7

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.

Schools Near Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

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)						EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (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	EOCEP Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 End of Course	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
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy	Public, Charter	2-8	6015 N Main Street	Columbia	29203	Richland County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 900-0664	231	26	8.8	37.7%	136 (58.9%)	68 (29.4%)	14 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (5.6%)	8.8	316^th of 325 public middle schools	2.8%		8.1	315^th of 325 public middle schools	3.1%	1	5.9	2.9	21.9	27.2	34.4	21.7	2.9	2.9	0.0	2.9	0.0	8.6
Alcorn Middle	Public	6-8	5125 Fairfield Road	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 735-3439	370	31	11.9	100.0%	12 (3.2%)	296 (80.0%)	54 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.2%)	7.7	319^th of 325 public middle schools	1.8%		6.4	323^rd of 325 public middle schools	0.6%	4				27.7	15.2	23.9				14.2	2.9	7.9		$19,919	$1,288	$1,289	$2,578	$14,357	$2,985	$17,341
W. G. Sanders Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	3455 Pine Belt Road	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 735-7575	533	47	11.3	100.0%	57 (10.7%)	400 (75.0%)	47 (8.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.1%)	40	185^th of 325 public middle schools	43.1%		38.9	195^th of 325 public middle schools	40.0%	10				32.4	46.0	57.3				17.6	25.3	31.6	100.0	$18,895	$1,596	$1,018	$2,614	$13,683	$2,598	$16,281
W. A. Perry Middle	Public	6-8	2600 Barhamville Road	Columbia	29204	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 256-6347	309	34	9.0	100.0%	4 (1.3%)	294 (95.1%)	6 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	16.8	276^th of 325 public middle schools	15.1%		9.6	309^th of 325 public middle schools	4.9%	33				39.4	25.2	38.7				13.1	8.6	13.6		$25,533	$1,783	$1,086	$2,869	$18,209	$4,455	$22,664
Heyward Gibbes Middle	Public	6-8	500 Summerlea Drive	Columbia	29203	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 343-2942	264	23	11.4	100.0%	5 (1.9%)	245 (92.8%)	5 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.4%)	11.4	301^st of 325 public middle schools	7.4%		7.5	316^th of 325 public middle schools	2.8%	15				24.7	26.0	36.1				10.1	8.2	9.6		$22,952	$1,778	$924	$2,703	$16,608	$3,641	$20,249
Dent Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	2721 Decker Boulevard	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 02	No	Yes	No	No	(803) 699-2750	1,018	84	12.1	100.0%	168 (16.5%)	563 (55.3%)	173 (17.0%)	67 (6.6%)	2 (0.2%)	7 (0.7%)	38 (3.7%)	43.8	168^th of 325 public middle schools	48.3%		51	142^nd of 325 public middle schools	56.3%	26				49.0	42.9	42.4				35.1	31.9	24.9	95.0	$12,541	$261	$683	$945	$10,235	$1,362	$11,597
Crayton Middle	Public	6-8	5000 Clemson Avenue	Columbia	29206	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 738-7224	905	67	13.5	100.0%	446 (49.3%)	340 (37.6%)	51 (5.6%)	14 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (6.0%)	84.6	46^th of 325 public middle schools	85.8%		87.2	36^th of 325 public middle schools	88.9%	10				69.7	65.1	64.6				56.0	49.7	40.6	96.7	$15,058	$719	$795	$1,514	$11,629	$1,916	$13,545
Hand Middle	Public	6-8	2600 Wheat Street	Columbia	29205	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 343-2947	652	57	11.4	100.0%	182 (27.9%)	363 (55.7%)	70 (10.7%)	7 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (4.6%)	52.2	141^st of 325 public middle schools	56.6%		48.7	157^th of 325 public middle schools	51.7%	16				55.2	49.3	49.0				29.5	30.3	33.8	100.0	$16,810	$748	$825	$1,572	$13,026	$2,212	$15,238
St. Andrews Middle	Public	6-8	1231 Bluefield Road	Columbia	29210	Richland County	Richland 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 731-8910	706	51	13.8	100.0%	18 (2.5%)	612 (86.7%)	31 (4.4%)	10 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (4.8%)	10.7	306^th of 325 public middle schools	5.8%		11.7	299^th of 325 public middle schools	8.0%	7				25.4	19.3	34.7				8.3	8.0	12.1	96.2	$14,815	$1,042	$1,198	$2,240	$10,586	$1,989	$12,575
Northside Middle	Public	6-8	157 Cougar Drive	West Columbia	29169	Lexington County	Lexington 02	No	No	No	No	(803) 739-4190	555	41	13.5	90.6%	160 (28.8%)	140 (25.2%)	217 (39.1%)	10 (1.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.9%)	22.1	252^nd of 325 public middle schools	22.5%		28.7	230^th of 325 public middle schools	29.2%	22				32.7	38.8	32.0				13.4	26.8	13.1	96.0	$12,805	$611	$1,389	$2,001	$9,037	$1,767	$10,804

Frequently Asked Questions about Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy

Is Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy a good school?

Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy ranks in the bottom 2.8% of South Carolina middle schools.

How many students attend Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?

In the 2022-23 school year, 231 students attended Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy.

What district is Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy in?

School Public Charter School District

What is the racial makeup of Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy?

Students at Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy are 59% White, 29% African American, 6% Hispanic, 6% 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.