Is Forts Pond Elementary a good school?

Forts Pond Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.1% of South Carolina elementary schools.

How many students attend Forts Pond Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 505 students attended Forts Pond Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Forts Pond Elementary?

Students at Forts Pond Elementary are 63% White, 22% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 7% African American.

What schools do graduates of Forts Pond Elementary attend?

Students who attend Forts Pond Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Pelion Middle High : Pelion High

Forts Pond Elementary

Summary:

Forts Pond Elementary is a public elementary school in Pelion, South Carolina, serving 468 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Lexington 01 school district.

While Lexington 01 is a highly-ranked district, Forts Pond Elementary consistently underperforms compared to other schools in the district and the state. The school has a significantly higher percentage of white students (66.45%) than surrounding schools, and its academic proficiency rates in both English Language Arts and Mathematics are well below the district and state averages. For example, in 2023-2024, Forts Pond's 3rd-grade ELA proficiency was 39.8%, compared to 58.2% for the district and 53.8% for the state. The school has been ranked in the bottom half of South Carolina elementary schools for several years, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Forts Pond Elementary's performance is particularly low for its white, male, and low socioeconomic status student subgroups, ranking in the bottom 25% of South Carolina elementary schools for these groups. The school's 100% free and reduced lunch rate indicates a high level of economic disadvantage among its student population, which may be contributing to its academic struggles. Compared to nearby schools like Red Bank Elementary, Saxe Gotha Elementary, and Deerfield Elementary, Forts Pond Elementary has significantly lower proficiency rates and a poorer overall ranking.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

7350 Fish Hatchery Road
Pelion, SC 29123

(803) 821-2500

District: Lexington 01

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,630

Students who attend Forts Pond Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Pelion Middle
High:	Pelion High

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 505

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.8%

Hispanic:

21.8%

Two or more races:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Forts Pond Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Forts Pond Elementary ranks worse than 80.9% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks last among 17 ranked elementary schools in the Lexington 01 School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 20.75. (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 Forts Pond Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Lexington 01 School District. Racial makeup is: White (62.8%), Hispanic (21.8%), two or more races (7.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Forts Pond Elementary is 11.7, which is the 3^rd best among 17 elementary schools in the Lexington 01 School District. (See more...)

Compare Forts Pond Elementary employs 43 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Forts Pond Elementary is $14,630, which is the 3^rd highest among 17 elementary schools in the Lexington 01 School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Forts Pond Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Forts Pond Elementary 516^th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Forts Pond Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Lexington 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Lexington 01 19^th of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Forts Pond Elementary?

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Rank History for Forts Pond Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Forts Pond Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2010	30.75	460^th	589	21.9%
2011	41.26	399^th	597	33.2%
2012	38.33	416^th	594	30.0%
2013	39.43	395^th	599	34.1%
2014	26.59	508^th	630	19.4%
2015	29.11	489^th	638	23.4%
2016	26.57	481^st	619	22.3%
2017	29.12	466^th	639	27.1%
2018	42.05	357^th	624	42.8%
2019	24.80	494^th	643	23.2%
2021	22.84	477^th	622	23.3%
2022	26.73	456^th	625	27.0%
2023	29.47	450^th	644	30.1%
2024	20.75	516^th	638	19.1%

See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Forts Pond Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	55.12	253^rd	588	57.0%
2019	29.71	450^th	600	25.0%
2021	28.39	427^th	580	26.4%
2022	30.05	435^th	600	27.5%
2023	32.65	433^rd	608	28.8%
2024	31.32	431^st	599	28.0%

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

Rank History for Female students at Forts Pond Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	43.40	332^nd	570	41.8%
2019	18.05	504^th	588	14.3%
2021	19.94	456^th	554	17.7%
2022	27.48	420^th	573	26.7%
2023	32.97	397^th	580	31.6%
2024	23.03	448^th	565	20.7%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Forts Pond Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	26.40	147^th	189	22.2%
2023	14.48	163^rd	174	6.3%

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

Rank History for Male students at Forts Pond Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	39.38	349^th	571	38.9%
2019	30.14	421^st	590	28.6%
2021	23.27	431^st	561	23.2%
2022	24.54	445^th	579	23.1%
2023	24.77	448^th	582	23.0%
2024	17.57	481^st	568	15.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Forts Pond Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	SC State Percentile
2018	14.96	411^th	457	10.1%
2019	6.54	459^th	472	2.8%
2021	5.39	429^th	439	2.3%
2022	7.83	436^th	455	4.2%
2023	10.84	430^th	463	7.1%
2024	8.20	421^st	441	4.5%

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.

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Forts Pond Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2009	419	34	8	25	6	n/a	n/a	1	493
2010	438	35	8	26	5	n/a	n/a	2	514
2011	430	20	0	38	0	3	15	0	506
2012	418	27	0	30	0	3	11	0	489
2013	429	33	2	30	1	3	10	0	508
2014	425	43	1	42	5	1	10	0	527
2015	469	39	0	54	4	1	25	0	592
2016	470	32	0	54	5	1	28	0	590
2017	475	30	0	63	7	0	26	0	601
2018	414	38	0	55	3	0	27	0	537
2019	436	30	0	70	2	1	27	0	566
2020	398	33	0	75	0	1	43	0	550
2021	368	39	0	85	0	1	31	0	524
2022	330	36	0	72	1	1	28	0	468
2023	311	31	0	86	1	1	38	0	468
2024	317	35	3	110	1	1	38	0	505

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 Forts Pond Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	493	n/a	n/a	64.4
2010	514	36.5	14.0	71.9
2011	506	35.7	14.1	72.7
2012	489	35.0	13.9	76.1
2013	508	33.0	15.3	79.5
2014	527	34.0	15.5	81
2015	592	38.0	15.5	74
2016	590	40.0	14.7	77.3
2017	601	40.0	15.0	100
2018	537	41.0	13.0	100
2019	566	42.0	13.4	72.3
2020	550	44.0	12.5	99.5
2021	524	40.0	13.1	69.3
2022	468	40.5	11.5	100
2023	468	38.5	12.1	100
2024	505	43.0	11.7	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 Forts Pond Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	493	n/a	n/a	64.4
2010	514	36.5	14.0	71.9
2011	506	35.7	14.1	72.7
2012	489	35.0	13.9	76.1
2013	508	33.0	15.3	79.5
2014	527	34.0	15.5	81
2015	592	38.0	15.5	74
2016	590	40.0	14.7	77.3
2017	601	40.0	15.0	100
2018	537	41.0	13.0	100
2019	566	42.0	13.4	72.3
2020	550	44.0	12.5	99.5
2021	524	40.0	13.1	69.3
2022	468	40.5	11.5	100
2023	468	38.5	12.1	100
2024	505	43.0	11.7	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 Forts Pond 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	$1,197 (9.7%)	$703 (5.7%)	$1,900 (15.4%)	$9,272 (75.1%)	$1,167 (9.5%)	$10,439 (84.6%)	$12,339
2020	$1,151 (9.6%)	$634 (5.3%)	$1,785 (15.0%)	$9,136 (76.6%)	$1,014 (8.5%)	$10,150 (85.1%)	$11,934
2021	$1,077 (8.6%)	$541 (4.3%)	$1,619 (12.9%)	$9,868 (78.5%)	$1,085 (8.6%)	$10,953 (87.1%)	$12,572
2022	$1,357 (10.2%)	$880 (6.6%)	$2,237 (16.9%)	$9,940 (75.1%)	$1,067 (8.1%)	$11,007 (83.1%)	$13,244
2023	$1,485 (10.2%)	$789 (5.4%)	$2,274 (15.5%)	$11,185 (76.5%)	$1,171 (8.0%)	$12,356 (84.5%)	$14,630

Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Forts Pond 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 494^th of 643 Elementary schools	Ranks 450^th of 644 Elementary schools	7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Forts Pond Elementary)	34.8	44.9	10.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Lexington 01)	60.1	59.7	0.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	49.7	53.5	3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Forts Pond Elementary)	47.4	44.9	2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lexington 01)	68.2	58.8	9.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	57.7	53.6	4.1%
4th Grade Science (Forts Pond Elementary)	32.3	21.1	11.2%
4th Grade Science (Lexington 01)	58	47.1	10.9%
4th Grade Science (South Carolina)	52	46.6	5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Forts Pond Elementary)	26.9	38.8	11.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Lexington 01)	57.1	61.8	4.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	51.3	57.2	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Forts Pond Elementary)	35.5	36.4	0.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lexington 01)	57.6	52.1	5.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	50.5	47	3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Forts Pond Elementary)	28.9	41.3	12.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Lexington 01)	50.8	60	9.2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)	41	55.2	14.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Forts Pond Elementary)	34.4	39.2	4.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Lexington 01)	55.1	49.9	5.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)	45.4	44.6	0.8%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	566	468	17.3%
African American	30	31	3.3%
American Indian	2	1	50%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	70	86	22.9%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	436	311	28.7%
Two or More Races	27	38	40.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	72.3%	100%	27.7%

Schools Near Forts Pond 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
Forts Pond Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	7350 Fish Hatchery Road	Pelion	29123	Lexington County	Lexington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 821-2500	505	43	11.7	100.0%	317 (62.8%)	35 (6.9%)	110 (21.8%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (7.5%)	20.7	516^th of 638 public elementary schools	19.1%		29.5	450^th of 644 public elementary schools	30.1%	66	39.8	37.3	39.3	34.9	23.9	33.3	$14,630	$1,485	$789	$2,274	$11,185	$1,171	$12,356
Pelion Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1202 Pine Street	Pelion	29123	Lexington County	Lexington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 821-2000	632	52	12.2	100.0%	419 (66.3%)	45 (7.1%)	118 (18.7%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.0%)	21.2	509^th of 638 public elementary schools	20.2%		14.4	566^th of 644 public elementary schools	12.1%	57	46.6	38.8	40.2	37.7	28.0	19.6	$16,133	$1,868	$683	$2,550	$12,317	$1,266	$13,583
Carolina Springs Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	6340 Platt Springs Road	Lexington	29073	Lexington County	Lexington 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 821-5100	750	61	12.3	60.1%	375 (50.0%)	229 (30.5%)	67 (8.9%)	12 (1.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (8.7%)	53.8	294^th of 638 public elementary schools	53.9%		51.8	302^nd of 644 public elementary schools	53.1%	8	55.5	55.6	48.1	57.3	62.7	35.9	$11,929	$810	$657	$1,466	$9,461	$1,001	$10,463
Sandhills Elementary	Public	3-4	130 Lewis Rast Road	Swansea	29160	Lexington County	Lexington 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 490-7003	474	34	13.9	100.0%	229 (48.3%)	78 (16.5%)	135 (28.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.3%)	28.8	455^th of 638 public elementary schools	28.7%		17.5	545^th of 644 public elementary schools	15.4%	90	47.5	35.0		49.4	31.9		$12,210	$964	$1,571	$2,535	$8,299	$1,376	$9,675
Sandhills Primary	Public	1-2	140 Lewis Rast Road	Swansea	29160	Lexington County	Lexington 04	No	No	No	No	(803) 490-7002	510	38	13.6	100.0%	278 (54.5%)	105 (20.6%)	100 (19.6%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	2 (0.4%)	20 (3.9%)								(n/a)							$13,688	$1,218	$2,064	$3,282	$9,268	$1,138	$10,406
Lexington Four Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	135 Lewis Rast Road	Swansea	29160		Lexington 04	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 490-7001	533	38	14.1	100.0%	327 (61.4%)	143 (26.8%)	25 (4.7%)	2 (0.4%)	14 (2.6%)	10 (1.9%)	12 (2.3%)								(n/a)							$12,713	$3,272	$1,192	$4,464	$7,188	$1,061	$8,249
Deerfield Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	638 Longs Pond Road	Lexington	29073	Lexington County	Lexington 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 821-5500	771	61	12.6	47.1%	429 (55.6%)	158 (20.5%)	112 (14.5%)	18 (2.3%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.5%)	48 (6.2%)	56.9	272^nd of 638 public elementary schools	57.4%		55.3	277^th of 644 public elementary schools	57.0%	5	53.5	55.3	58.0	51.2	53.4	49.6	$12,242	$705	$627	$1,333	$9,848	$1,060	$10,909
Saxe Gotha Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 Bill Williamson Court	Lexington	29073	Lexington County	Lexington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 821-4800	582	55	10.5	100.0%	323 (55.5%)	98 (16.8%)	98 (16.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (10.5%)	42	370^th of 638 public elementary schools	42.0%		49.9	316^th of 644 public elementary schools	50.9%	54	50.0	55.4	38.3	51.3	51.8	31.3	$14,212	$1,020	$618	$1,638	$11,479	$1,096	$12,575
Cyril B. Busbee Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	20 A.L. Corbett Circle	Wagener	29164	Aiken County	Aiken 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 564-1000	461	33	13.9	100.0%	236 (51.2%)	156 (33.8%)	28 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.0%)	19.8	525^th of 638 public elementary schools	17.7%		21.3	521^st of 644 public elementary schools	19.1%	4	27.5	43.7	35.5	48.6	26.7	19.3
Red Bank Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	246 Community Drive	Lexington	29073	Lexington County	Lexington 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 821-4600	540	49	11.0	61.1%	300 (55.6%)	106 (19.6%)	75 (13.9%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (10.2%)	58.3	261^st of 638 public elementary schools	59.1%		45.8	339^th of 644 public elementary schools	47.4%	78	59.5	57.8	53.8	54.7	50.6	47.7	$14,804	$1,418	$703	$2,121	$11,528	$1,156	$12,684

Forts Pond Elementary

Forts Pond Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Lexington 01:

What do you think?

Rank History for Forts Pond Elementary

Rank History for all students at Forts Pond Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Forts Pond Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Forts Pond Elementary

Rank History for Disabled students at Forts Pond Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Forts Pond Elementary

Rank History for White students at Forts Pond Elementary

Enrollment information for Forts Pond Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Forts Pond Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Forts Pond Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Forts Pond Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Forts Pond Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Forts Pond Elementary