Blue Ridge Elementary

Summary:

Blue Ridge Elementary is a public elementary school located in Seneca, South Carolina, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 597 and is part of the Oconee 01 school district.

While Blue Ridge Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, with a racial makeup of 53.1% White, 22.28% African American, 13.4% Hispanic, and 10.22% two or more races, its academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in SC READY/English Language Arts and Mathematics, is generally lower than the Oconee 01 district and the state averages. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of South Carolina elementary schools, with a 1 or 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance. However, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10.9 to 11.7 students per teacher, which is lower than the nearby schools. Additionally, Blue Ridge Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, with 100% of students qualifying in the 2022-2023 and 2021-2022 school years, significantly higher than the nearby schools.

Over the past few years, Blue Ridge Elementary's academic performance has declined, with proficiency rates in ELA and Mathematics dropping across all grade levels. This trend is concerning and suggests the need for intervention and improvement strategies. While the school's diversity is a strength, the academic performance does not seem to be keeping pace with the diversity, indicating a need to ensure equitable educational opportunities for all students. However, the low student-teacher ratio and the district's overall strong performance suggest that Blue Ridge Elementary has the potential to improve with the right strategies and resources, such as targeted interventions, professional development for teachers, and community engagement.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 995 South Oak Street
       Seneca, SC  29678


(864) 886-4550

District: Oconee 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
411th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,010 Help


Students who attend Blue Ridge Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Seneca Middle
High:    Seneca High

Student/teacher ratio:  11.3 Help
Number of students:  569

Racial breakdown:

White:
50.4%
African American:
21.1%
Hispanic:
14.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Blue Ridge Elementary ranks worse than 64.4% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 9th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Oconee 01 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.18. (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 Blue Ridge Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (50.4%), African American (21.1%), Hispanic (14.6%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Blue Ridge Elementary is 11.3, which is the 4th best among 10 elementary schools in the Oconee 01 School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Blue Ridge Elementary employs 50 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Blue Ridge Elementary is $15,010, which is the 3rd highest among 10 elementary schools in the Oconee 01 School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Blue Ridge Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Blue Ridge Elementary 411th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Blue Ridge Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Oconee 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Oconee 01 21st of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Blue Ridge Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Blue Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2011 26.38 490th 597 17.9%
2012 25.18 501st 594 15.7%
2013 20.57 522nd 599 12.9%
2014 28.03 499th 630 20.8%
2015 36.59 417th 638 34.6%
2016 41.58 370th 619 40.2%
2017 30.05 458th 639 28.3%
2018 31.70 431st 624 30.9%
2019 30.10 451st 643 29.9%
2021 28.07 442nd 622 28.9%
2022 30.70 435th 625 30.4%
2023 27.19 468th 644 27.3%
2024 35.18 411th 638 35.6%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Blue Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.52 405th 588 31.1%
2019 37.99 391st 600 34.8%
2021 34.20 402nd 580 30.7%
2022 37.48 382nd 600 36.3%
2023 33.60 419th 608 31.1%
2024 44.11 339th 599 43.4%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Blue Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 26.66 434th 570 23.9%
2019 26.91 450th 588 23.5%
2021 24.91 420th 554 24.2%
2022 26.38 427th 573 25.5%
2023 25.48 446th 580 23.1%
2024 36.48 366th 565 35.2%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Blue Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 37.51 94th 161 41.6%
2019 23.92 155th 189 18.0%
2021 27.85 90th 122 26.2%
2023 28.30 123rd 174 29.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Blue Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.00 379th 571 33.6%
2019 31.01 414th 590 29.8%
2021 28.30 407th 561 27.5%
2022 33.24 392nd 579 32.3%
2023 26.83 435th 582 25.3%
2024 31.41 389th 568 31.5%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Blue Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 44.99 234th 412 43.2%
2019 53.68 181st 421 57.0%
2021 37.57 228th 350 34.9%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Blue Ridge Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.01 401st 457 12.3%
2019 13.03 437th 472 7.4%
2021 15.07 395th 439 10.0%
2022 17.69 394th 455 13.4%
2023 12.39 425th 463 8.2%
2024 14.50 409th 441 7.3%
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.

Blue Ridge Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Blue Ridge Elementary

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2010 359 271 6 41 2 n/a n/a 3 682
2011 356 175 5 36 1 0 54 0 627
2012 363 161 4 48 0 0 65 0 641
2013 368 167 3 53 1 0 71 0 663
2014 335 155 1 61 1 0 79 0 632
2015 357 150 1 55 0 0 76 0 639
2016 327 161 1 57 2 0 76 0 624
2017 313 160 2 67 2 0 80 0 624
2018 301 163 5 73 2 0 78 0 622
2019 310 163 4 74 1 0 71 0 623
2020 284 142 3 77 0 0 67 0 573
2021 283 155 2 78 0 1 70 0 589
2022 291 133 2 68 0 1 61 0 556
2023 317 133 4 80 0 2 61 0 597
2024 287 120 7 83 0 2 70 0 569

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 Blue Ridge Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 682 50.8 13.4 80.7
2011 627 50.8 12.3 77
2012 641 51.7 12.3 77.5
2013 663 54.7 12.1 80.5
2014 632 53.4 11.8 78.5
2015 639 54.0 11.8 74.8
2016 624 52.0 12.0 74
2017 624 48.6 12.8 100
2018 622 50.6 12.2 100
2019 623 51.5 12.0 69.2
2020 573 51.0 11.2 99.5
2021 589 52.0 11.3 79.3
2022 556 51.0 10.9 100
2023 597 51.0 11.7 100
2024 569 50.0 11.3 100

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 Blue Ridge Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2010 682 50.8 13.4 80.7
2011 627 50.8 12.3 77
2012 641 51.7 12.3 77.5
2013 663 54.7 12.1 80.5
2014 632 53.4 11.8 78.5
2015 639 54.0 11.8 74.8
2016 624 52.0 12.0 74
2017 624 48.6 12.8 100
2018 622 50.6 12.2 100
2019 623 51.5 12.0 69.2
2020 573 51.0 11.2 99.5
2021 589 52.0 11.3 79.3
2022 556 51.0 10.9 100
2023 597 51.0 11.7 100
2024 569 50.0 11.3 100

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 Blue Ridge Elementary

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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 $1,270 (10.8%) $452 (3.9%) $1,722 (14.7%) $9,031 (77.1%) $956 (8.2%) $9,987 (85.3%) $11,709
2020 $996 (8.2%) $572 (4.7%) $1,568 (13.0%) $9,332 (77.3%) $1,174 (9.7%) $10,506 (87.0%) $12,074
2021 $1,438 (10.9%) $537 (4.1%) $1,974 (14.9%) $10,265 (77.6%) $983 (7.4%) $11,249 (85.1%) $13,223
2022 $1,843 (12.8%) $757 (5.3%) $2,600 (18.1%) $10,583 (73.7%) $1,177 (8.2%) $11,760 (81.9%) $14,360
2023 $2,422 (16.1%) $987 (6.6%) $3,409 (22.7%) $10,551 (70.3%) $1,051 (7.0%) $11,602 (77.3%) $15,010

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Blue Ridge 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 451st of 643 Elementary schoolsRanks 468th of 644 Elementary schools
 2.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Blue Ridge Elementary)39.845.1
 5.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Oconee 01)48.657.1
 8.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)49.753.5
 3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Blue Ridge Elementary)4637.8
 8.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Oconee 01)55.254.7
 0.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)57.753.6
 4.1%
4th Grade Science (Blue Ridge Elementary)43.731.9
 11.8%
   4th Grade Science (Oconee 01)55.546.8
 8.7%
   4th Grade Science (South Carolina)5246.6
 5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Blue Ridge Elementary)33.839.1
 5.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Oconee 01)5054.5
 4.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)51.357.2
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Blue Ridge Elementary)35.329.9
 5.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Oconee 01)49.542
 7.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)50.547
 3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Blue Ridge Elementary)30.745.3
 14.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Oconee 01)38.857.4
 18.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)4155.2
 14.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Blue Ridge Elementary)36.632
 4.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Oconee 01)43.545.7
 2.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)45.444.6
 0.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students623597
 4.2%
African American163133
 18.4%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian44
Hispanic7480
 8.1%
Pacific Islander02
White310317
 2.3%
Two or More Races7161
 14.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients69.2%100%
 30.8%


Schools Near Blue Ridge Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Ridge Elementary

In the 2023-24 school year, 569 students attended Blue Ridge Elementary.

Students who attend Blue Ridge Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Seneca Middle
High : Seneca High

Students at Blue Ridge Elementary are 50% White, 21% African American, 15% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Blue Ridge Elementary ranks 411th of 638 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.


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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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