Rafting Creek Elementary

Summary:

Rafting Creek Elementary is a public elementary school in Rembert, South Carolina, serving 134 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Sumter 01 school district, which is ranked 69 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Rafting Creek Elementary faces significant challenges compared to nearby schools. The school has a much higher percentage of African American students (82.84%) than surrounding schools, which range from 40-78% African American. Academically, Rafting Creek consistently underperforms the district and state averages in standardized test scores for English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in 2023-2024, only 26% of 4th-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 37.4% for the district and 57.2% for the state. Additionally, Rafting Creek has a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, indicating a high concentration of students from low-income families, which is significantly higher than the surrounding schools.

Despite spending significantly more per student ($16,205 in 2022-2023) compared to the surrounding schools ($10,749 to $11,577 per student), Rafting Creek Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 25% of South Carolina elementary schools, with a ranking of 612 out of 638 schools in 2023-2024 and a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. In contrast, nearby schools like Alice Drive Elementary and Millwood Elementary have significantly higher academic performance and statewide rankings, despite serving similar student populations in terms of socioeconomic status and racial makeup.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4100 Highway 261 North
Rembert, SC 29128

(803) 432-2994

District: Sumter 01

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,205

Students who attend Rafting Creek Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Hillcrest Middle
High:	Crestwood High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 134

Racial breakdown:

African American:

82.8%

Hispanic:

9.0%

White:

6.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Rafting Creek Elementary ranks worse than 95.9% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 12^th among 13 ranked elementary schools in the Sumter 01 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.52. (See more...)

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

Compare Details Rafting Creek Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Sumter 01 School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Rafting Creek Elementary is $16,205, which is the highest among 15 elementary schools in the Sumter 01 School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Rafting Creek Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Rafting Creek Elementary 612^th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Rafting Creek Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Sumter 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Sumter 01 69^th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Rafting Creek Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Rafting Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2014	46.06	374^th	630	40.6%
2015	51.65	290^th	638	54.5%
2016	45.03	348^th	619	43.8%
2017	64.83	202^nd	639	68.4%
2018	37.47	387^th	624	38.0%
2019	21.08	516^th	643	19.8%
2023	23.91	497^th	644	22.8%
2024	8.52	612^th	638	4.1%

See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Rafting Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2019	8.97	580^th	600	3.3%
2023	35.40	412^th	608	32.2%
2024	11.55	566^th	599	5.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Rafting Creek Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	73.15	73^rd	412	82.3%
2019	22.28	373^rd	421	11.4%
2023	60.25	120^th	394	69.5%

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.

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Rafting Creek Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2012	2	194	0	8	0	1	205
2013	6	171	0	9	0	1	187
2014	8	168	0	9	0	1	186
2015	9	159	0	8	0	4	180
2016	3	150	0	9	0	1	163
2017	2	144	1	9	0	2	158
2018	5	146	1	6	0	2	160
2019	17	135	0	10	0	1	163
2020	8	139	0	9	1	0	157
2021	7	104	0	12	1	0	124
2022	6	102	0	11	1	3	123
2023	8	111	0	12	2	1	134

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 Rafting Creek Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	205	15.0	13.6	92.2
2013	187	16.0	11.6	92.5
2014	186	16.0	11.6	89.8
2015	180	19.0	9.4	92.8
2016	163	19.0	8.5	100
2017	158	14.0	11.2	100
2018	160	12.0	13.3	100
2019	163	11.0	14.8	100
2020	157	10.0	15.7	100
2021	124	11.0	11.2	100
2022	123	10.0	12.3	100
2023	134	9.0	14.8	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 Rafting Creek Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	205	15.0	13.6	92.2
2013	187	16.0	11.6	92.5
2014	186	16.0	11.6	89.8
2015	180	19.0	9.4	92.8
2016	163	19.0	8.5	100
2017	158	14.0	11.2	100
2018	160	12.0	13.3	100
2019	163	11.0	14.8	100
2020	157	10.0	15.7	100
2021	124	11.0	11.2	100
2022	123	10.0	12.3	100
2023	134	9.0	14.8	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 Rafting Creek Elementary

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,029 (7.5%)	$951 (6.9%)	$1,980 (14.4%)	$10,608 (77.2%)	$1,152 (8.4%)	$11,760 (85.6%)	$13,739
2020	$864 (6.1%)	$1,600 (11.4%)	$2,464 (17.5%)	$10,567 (75.2%)	$1,028 (7.3%)	$11,595 (82.5%)	$14,059
2021	$1,006 (7.5%)	$915 (6.8%)	$1,921 (14.4%)	$10,415 (77.9%)	$1,028 (7.7%)	$11,442 (85.6%)	$13,363
2022	$2,017 (11.2%)	$1,796 (10.0%)	$3,813 (21.2%)	$12,809 (71.1%)	$1,403 (7.8%)	$14,212 (78.8%)	$18,025
2023	$2,089 (12.9%)	$1,555 (9.6%)	$3,644 (22.5%)	$11,287 (69.7%)	$1,274 (7.9%)	$12,561 (77.5%)	$16,205

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Rafting Creek 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 516^th of 643 Elementary schools	Ranks 497^th of 644 Elementary schools	3.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Rafting Creek Elementary)	18.2	25	6.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sumter 01)	37.3	35.6	1.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	49.7	53.5	3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Rafting Creek Elementary)	36.3	25	11.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sumter 01)	46.9	38.2	8.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	57.7	53.6	4.1%
4th Grade Science (Rafting Creek Elementary)	11.1	34.6	23.5%
4th Grade Science (Sumter 01)	40.9	38.8	2.1%
4th Grade Science (South Carolina)	52	46.6	5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Rafting Creek Elementary)	25.9	42.3	16.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sumter 01)	32.2	41.4	9.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	51.3	57.2	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Rafting Creek Elementary)	14.8	42.3	27.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sumter 01)	33.9	27.1	6.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	50.5	47	3.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	163	134	17.8%
African American	135	111	17.8%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	10	12	20%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	17	8	52.9%
Two or More Races	1	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Rafting Creek 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th 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
Rafting Creek Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4100 Highway 261 North	Rembert	29128	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 432-2994	134	9	14.8	100.0%	8 (6.0%)	111 (82.8%)	12 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	8.5	612^th of 638 public elementary schools	4.1%		23.9	497^th of 644 public elementary schools	22.8%	115		26.0	23.8		30.4	14.3	$16,205	$2,089	$1,555	$3,644	$11,287	$1,274	$12,561
Oakland Primary	Public	PK, KG-1	5415 Oakland Drive	Sumter	29154	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 499-3366	524	37	14.1	100.0%	134 (25.6%)	300 (57.3%)	43 (8.2%)	8 (1.5%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	35 (6.7%)								(n/a)							$11,446	$1,685	$820	$2,505	$8,189	$752	$8,941
Shaw Heights Elementary	Public	2-3	1495 Frierson Road	Shaw A F B	29152	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 666-2335	442	26	17.0	100.0%	139 (31.4%)	231 (52.3%)	40 (9.0%)	6 (1.4%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.2%)								(n/a)	55.0			57.0			$11,220	$1,816	$748	$2,564	$7,761	$896	$8,657
High Hills Elementary	Public	4-5	4971 Frierson Road	Shaw A F B	29152	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 499-3327	424	24	17.6	100.0%	131 (30.9%)	230 (54.2%)	31 (7.3%)	5 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.9%)	22.8	497^th of 638 public elementary schools	22.1%		29.5	449^th of 644 public elementary schools	30.3%	48		36.3	47.3		31.2	28.8	$9,714	$1,299	$997	$2,296	$6,639	$779	$7,418
Cherryvale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1420 Furman Drive	Sumter	29154	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 494-8200	534	35	15.2	100.0%	100 (18.7%)	394 (73.8%)	27 (5.1%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	4.9	631^st of 638 public elementary schools	1.1%		7.7	622^nd of 644 public elementary schools	3.4%	9	25.8	21.9	19.4	24.1	15.0	14.3	$11,577	$1,424	$826	$2,250	$8,266	$1,061	$9,327
West Lee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	55 West Lee School Road	Rembert	29128	Sumter County	Lee 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 428-3147	100	10	10.0	100.0%	12 (12.0%)	83 (83.0%)	5 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							$21,078	$1,073	$853	$1,926	$15,702	$3,450	$19,152
Alice Drive Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	251 Alice Drive	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 775-0857	560	37	15.1	100.0%	279 (49.8%)	225 (40.2%)	23 (4.1%)	18 (3.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.3%)	76.3	145^th of 638 public elementary schools	77.3%		74.7	157^th of 644 public elementary schools	75.6%	12	59.0	66.3	65.5	65.4	74.2	51.8	$10,749	$1,159	$698	$1,857	$8,157	$734	$8,891
Doby's Mill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1964 Ft. Jackson Road	Lugoff	29078	Kershaw County	Kershaw 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 438-4055	596	37	16.1	75.3%	355 (59.6%)	119 (20.0%)	61 (10.2%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (9.2%)	46.9	344^th of 638 public elementary schools	46.1%		54	285^th of 644 public elementary schools	55.7%	59	57.0	54.1	44.0	50.5	53.1	35.0	$10,883	$1,220	$717	$1,937	$7,044	$1,903	$8,946
Pine Tree Hill Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	938 Bishopville Highway	Camden	29020	Kershaw County	Kershaw 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 425-8970	501	35	14.3	73.1%	286 (57.1%)	141 (28.1%)	35 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (7.8%)	52.6	297^th of 638 public elementary schools	53.4%		57.2	269^th of 644 public elementary schools	58.2%	28	55.6	63.3	47.9	51.8	51.1	36.9	$11,932	$1,693	$672	$2,365	$7,899	$1,668	$9,568
Willow Drive Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	26 Willow Drive	Sumter	29150	Sumter County	Sumter 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 773-5796	551	32	17.2	100.0%	60 (10.9%)	431 (78.2%)	29 (5.3%)	11 (2.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	16 (2.9%)	10.9	588^th of 638 public elementary schools	7.8%		8.6	617^th of 644 public elementary schools	4.2%	29	34.7	20.1	34.6	33.3	15.1	21.8	$11,002	$1,543	$758	$2,301	$7,976	$726	$8,701

Frequently Asked Questions about Rafting Creek Elementary

Is Rafting Creek Elementary a good school?

Rafting Creek Elementary ranks in the bottom 4.1% of South Carolina elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Rafting Creek Elementary attend?

Students who attend Rafting Creek Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hillcrest Middle
High : Crestwood High

What district is Rafting Creek Elementary in?

Sumter 01

What is the racial makeup of Rafting Creek Elementary?

Students at Rafting Creek Elementary are 83% African American, 9% Hispanic, 6% White, 1% American Indian.

How many students attend Rafting Creek Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 134 students attended Rafting Creek Elementary.

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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.