Bethune-Bowman Elementary

Summary:

Bethune-Bowman Elementary is a public elementary school in Rowesville, South Carolina, serving 288 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Orangeburg School District, which is ranked 65 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Bethune-Bowman faces significant challenges, with consistently low academic performance compared to the state and nearby schools. Only 29% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in ELA in 2023-2024, compared to 53.8% statewide. The school's performance is particularly low for female students, male students, African American students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the bottom 20-30% of South Carolina elementary schools for these subgroups. Despite spending significantly more per student ($12,119 in 2022-2023) than the state average, this has not translated into improved outcomes.

Bethune-Bowman's academic performance is significantly lower than nearby schools in the Orangeburg district, such as Elloree Elementary, Edisto Elementary, and Brookdale Elementary, which have higher proficiency rates and better overall rankings. The school's high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (100% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) and lack of improvement over the past three years suggest that targeted interventions and support systems may be necessary to address the unique needs of the student population.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4857 Charleston Highway
Rowesville, SC 29133

(803) 533-6371

District: Orangeburg

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,119

Students who attend Bethune-Bowman Elementary usually attend:

High:

Bethune-Bowman Middle/High

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 271

Racial breakdown:

African American:

82.7%

Hispanic:

12.2%

White:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Bethune-Bowman Elementary ranks worse than 91.7% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 9^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Orangeburg School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.22. (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 Racial makeup is: African American (82.7%), Hispanic (12.2%), White (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Orangeburg School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Bethune-Bowman Elementary is 13.4, which is the 4^th best among 14 elementary schools in the Orangeburg School District. (See more...)

Compare Bethune-Bowman Elementary employs 20.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Bethune-Bowman Elementary is $12,119. 11 elementary schools in the Orangeburg School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Bethune-Bowman Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Bethune-Bowman Elementary 585^th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Bethune-Bowman Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Male students:

African American students:

Orangeburg:

SchoolDigger ranks Orangeburg 65^th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Bethune-Bowman Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Bethune-Bowman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	6.02	617^th	625	1.3%
2023	11.49	593^rd	644	7.9%
2024	11.22	585^th	638	8.3%

See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Bethune-Bowman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	8.68	583^rd	600	2.8%
2023	15.55	547^th	608	10.0%
2024	12.41	563^rd	599	6.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Bethune-Bowman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	7.10	552^nd	573	3.7%
2023	4.23	576^th	580	0.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Bethune-Bowman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	4.76	573^rd	579	1.0%
2023	13.19	518^th	582	11.0%
2024	9.55	531^st	568	6.5%

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

Rank History for African American students at Bethune-Bowman Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2022	21.18	343^rd	393	12.7%
2023	29.34	308^th	394	21.8%
2024	29.44	285^th	369	22.8%

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 Bethune-Bowman Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Two or More Races	Total
2020	17	247	2	29	5	300
2021	12	225	2	32	6	277
2022	12	239	1	32	8	292
2023	12	240	0	33	3	288
2024	8	224	1	33	5	271

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 Bethune-Bowman Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	300	19.0	15.7	100
2021	277	17.4	15.8	100
2022	292	18.9	15.4	100
2023	288	17.0	16.9	100
2024	271	20.1	13.4	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 Bethune-Bowman Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2020	300	19.0	15.7	100
2021	277	17.4	15.8	100
2022	292	18.9	15.4	100
2023	288	17.0	16.9	100
2024	271	20.1	13.4	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 Bethune-Bowman 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	$966 (7.2%)	$340 (2.5%)	$1,305 (9.7%)	$10,370 (77.2%)	$1,758 (13.1%)	$12,128 (90.3%)	$13,433
2021	$329 (2.1%)	$939 (6.1%)	$1,268 (8.2%)	$12,665 (82.4%)	$1,443 (9.4%)	$14,108 (91.8%)	$15,376
2022	$1,329 (8.8%)	$1,511 (10.0%)	$2,840 (18.7%)	$10,816 (71.4%)	$1,494 (9.9%)	$12,310 (81.3%)	$15,150
2023	$1,194 (9.9%)	$445 (3.7%)	$1,639 (13.5%)	$9,201 (75.9%)	$1,278 (10.5%)	$10,479 (86.5%)	$12,119

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Schools Near Bethune-Bowman 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)						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
Bethune-Bowman Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4857 Charleston Highway	Rowesville	29133	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 533-6371	271	20	13.4	100.0%	8 (3.0%)	224 (82.7%)	33 (12.2%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	11.2	585^th of 638 public elementary schools	8.3%		11.5	593^rd of 644 public elementary schools	7.9%	8	29.0	32.7	30.8				18.4	16.3	33.4					$12,119	$1,194	$445	$1,639	$9,201	$1,278	$10,479
Whittaker Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	790 Whittaker Parkway	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-6559	369	22	16.8	100.0%	13 (3.5%)	333 (90.2%)	14 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	25.7	478^th of 638 public elementary schools	25.1%		24.7	492^nd of 644 public elementary schools	23.6%	14	28.3	46.3	36.2				31.7	51.8	33.3					$12,157	$1,389	$937	$2,327	$8,656	$1,175	$9,831
Mellichamp Elementary	Public	3-5	350 Murray Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-8044	160	16	10.0	100.0%	6 (3.8%)	143 (89.4%)	6 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.5%)	5.4	630^th of 638 public elementary schools	1.3%		2.6	643^rd of 644 public elementary schools	0.2%	13	16.6	18.8	28.9				14.3	17.2	21.2					$15,875	$2,006	$995	$3,001	$11,511	$1,363	$12,874
Brookdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	394 Brookdale Drive	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-5982	245	17	14.0	100.0%	6 (2.4%)	215 (87.8%)	14 (5.7%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.9%)	34.3	418^th of 638 public elementary schools	34.5%		36.1	413^th of 644 public elementary schools	35.9%	5	32.3	44.1	52.1				29.4	32.4	52.2					$16,605	$2,008	$923	$2,931	$12,457	$1,217	$13,674
Felton Laboratory Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	115 Lance Street	Orangeburg	29117	Orangeburg County	School Public Charter School District	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 536-7034	296	15	19.2	100.0%	2 (0.7%)	263 (88.9%)	9 (3.0%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.1%)	33.2	427^th of 638 public elementary schools	33.1%		47	335^th of 644 public elementary schools	48.0%	92	42.5	67.9	40.0	48.1	35.0	36.1	30.0	50.0	30.0	14.8	17.5	13.9	71.4	$15,497	$2,582	$1,992	$4,574	$8,201	$2,722	$10,923
Edisto Primary	Public	PK, KG-2	3239 Cordova Road	Cordova	29039	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 536-4782	683	42	16.1	100.0%	234 (34.3%)	355 (52.0%)	49 (7.2%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.6%)								(n/a)														$14,791	$1,973	$749	$2,722	$11,009	$1,060	$12,069
Marshall Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1441 Marshall Street	Orangeburg	29118	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-7865	646	38	16.8	100.0%	12 (1.9%)	591 (91.5%)	12 (1.9%)	5 (0.8%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	20 (3.1%)	9.8	605^th of 638 public elementary schools	5.2%		8.9	614^th of 644 public elementary schools	4.7%	9	30.2	33.0	26.2				27.3	28.0	15.5					$10,418	$994	$925	$1,919	$7,627	$873	$8,499
Sheridan Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1139 Hillsboro Road	Orangeburg	29115	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 534-7504	498	32	15.5	100.0%	17 (3.4%)	419 (84.1%)	34 (6.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	20 (4.0%)	10	600^th of 638 public elementary schools	6.0%		11.2	594^th of 644 public elementary schools	7.8%	6	19.7	22.7	37.5				11.9	22.6	29.2					$11,727	$1,526	$929	$2,455	$8,481	$792	$9,273
Lockett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1349 Dorange Road	Branchville	29432	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 274-8588	236	15	15.5	100.0%	150 (63.6%)	74 (31.4%)	3 (1.3%)	2 (0.8%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	68.6	194^th of 638 public elementary schools	69.6%		78.5	127^th of 644 public elementary schools	80.3%	67	43.2	61.0	52.5				72.7	78.1	65.0					$14,181	$1,766	$266	$2,032	$10,820	$1,329	$12,149
Edisto Elementary	Public	3-5	136 Woodolive Lane	Orangeburg	29515	Orangeburg County	Orangeburg	No	No	No	No	(803) 531-7646	424	27	15.7	100.0%	163 (38.4%)	197 (46.5%)	31 (7.3%)	6 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.1%)	20.5	517^th of 638 public elementary schools	19.0%		20.4	530^th of 644 public elementary schools	17.7%	13	32.7	45.5	41.6				26.4	33.8	28.9					$10,502	$937	$677	$1,614	$7,875	$1,014	$8,889

Frequently Asked Questions about Bethune-Bowman Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Bethune-Bowman Elementary?

Students at Bethune-Bowman Elementary are 83% African American, 12% Hispanic, 3% White, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Bethune-Bowman Elementary in?

Orangeburg

Is Bethune-Bowman Elementary a good school?

Bethune-Bowman Elementary ranks in the bottom 8.3% of South Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Bethune-Bowman Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 271 students attended Bethune-Bowman Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Bethune-Bowman Elementary attend?

Students who attend Bethune-Bowman Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Bethune-Bowman Middle/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.