W.J. Keenan High

Summary:

W.J. Keenan High is a public high school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving 725 students in grades 9-12 and part of the Richland 01 school district, which is ranked 53 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite spending significantly more per student ($18,602 in 2022-2023) compared to nearby schools like Eau Claire High and Richland Northeast High, W.J. Keenan High consistently underperforms the state and district averages on standardized tests, with proficiency rates well below the state and district levels across subjects like Algebra, English, and U.S. History. The school has a 0-1 star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating poor overall performance, and struggles to support the academic achievement of various student subgroups, including female students, male students, African American students, low-socioeconomic status students, and students with disabilities.

Interestingly, the nearby schools that also serve predominantly African American and economically disadvantaged student populations generally outperform W.J. Keenan High on academic measures, suggesting that factors beyond just student demographics may be contributing to the poor performance at W.J. Keenan High. Additionally, the school's performance has remained stagnant or declined over the past several years, with the school's state ranking and SchoolDigger rating consistently in the bottom quarter of South Carolina high schools, indicating the need for a comprehensive, long-term approach to address the systemic challenges the school is facing.


Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

 361 Pisgah Church Road
       Columbia, SC  29203


(803) 714-2500

District: Richland 01

SchoolDigger Rank:
214th of 235 South Carolina High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $18,602 Help


Feeder schools for W.J. Keenan High:

Elementary:    A. J. Lewis Greenview Elementary
    Burton Pack Elementary
Middle:    W. G. Sanders Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  13.4 Help
Number of students:  719

Racial breakdown:

African American:
89.7%
Hispanic:
4.2%
Two or more races:
3.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  100% Help


 See top rated South Carolina high schools

 Compare W.J. Keenan High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details W.J. Keenan High ranks worse than 91.1% of high schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 5th among 7 ranked high schools in the Richland 01 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.56. (See more...)
Help
The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at W.J. Keenan High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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
Help
Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (89.7%), Hispanic (4.2%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at W.J. Keenan High is 13.4, which is the 4th best among 7 high schools in the Richland 01 School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare W.J. Keenan High employs 53.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at W.J. Keenan High is $18,602, which is the 4th highest among 7 high schools in the Richland 01 School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

W.J. Keenan High:

SchoolDigger ranks W.J. Keenan High 214th of 235 South Carolina public high schools. (See W.J. Keenan High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Gifted and Talented students:
Male students:
African American students:


Richland 01:

SchoolDigger ranks Richland 01 53rd of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for W.J. Keenan High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at W.J. Keenan High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 27.72 167th 187 10.7%
2006 38.63 159th 191 16.8%
2007 27.28 177th 191 7.3%
2008 13.42 170th 185 8.1%
2009 43.09 132nd 188 29.8%
2010 35.30 144th 199 27.6%
2011 21.19 166th 199 16.6%
2012 32.16 149th 202 26.2%
2013 34.96 138th 203 32.0%
2014 33.57 143rd 210 31.9%
2015 23.88 183rd 232 21.1%
2016 19.33 196th 231 15.2%
2017 16.47 187th 223 16.1%
2018 13.37 184th 216 14.8%
2019 16.42 186th 225 17.3%
2021 29.99 149th 227 34.4%
2022 14.25 197th 226 12.8%
2023 13.15 209th 237 11.8%
2024 11.56 214th 235 8.9%
See the entire list of South Carolina High School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at W.J. Keenan High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 21.85 165th 214 22.9%
2019 22.53 169th 217 22.1%
2021 41.22 119th 213 44.1%
2022 19.90 182nd 220 17.3%
2023 16.18 196th 226 13.3%
2024 13.42 210th 229 8.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at W.J. Keenan High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.73 179th 210 14.8%
2019 16.10 180th 213 15.5%
2021 44.46 113th 213 46.9%
2022 17.90 186th 220 15.5%
2023 16.57 189th 223 15.2%
2024 23.25 177th 225 21.3%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at W.J. Keenan High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 29.95 99th 137 27.7%
2019 40.98 81st 143 43.4%
2022 12.63 127th 139 8.6%
2023 7.07 139th 141 1.4%
2024 19.02 127th 145 12.4%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at W.J. Keenan High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 22.33 142nd 156 9.0%
2024 22.73 139th 157 11.5%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at W.J. Keenan High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.78 181st 213 15.0%
2019 17.91 175th 218 19.7%
2021 25.79 155th 215 27.9%
2022 15.02 194th 224 13.4%
2023 11.54 207th 229 9.6%
2024 5.32 224th 228 1.8%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at W.J. Keenan High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 39.12 112th 183 38.8%
2019 42.44 93rd 184 49.5%
2021 54.90 59th 178 66.9%
2022 34.31 123rd 190 35.3%
2023 30.61 140th 199 29.6%
2024 25.42 160th 194 17.5%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina High 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.

W.J. Keenan High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: South Carolina State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for W.J. Keenan High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 57 1085 1 3 1 n/a n/a 0 1147
1989 37 1034 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 1073
1990 23 959 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 982
1991 18 946 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 964
1992 15 913 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 928
1993 12 913 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 925
1994 10 868 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 879
1995 3 900 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 905
1996 3 900 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 905
1997 4 909 3 0 1 n/a n/a 0 917
1998 3 968 7 0 0 n/a n/a 0 978
1999 16 964 4 0 0 n/a n/a 0 984
2000 16 924 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 942
2001 13 854 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 873
2002 5 903 4 1 0 n/a n/a 0 913
2003 5 903 4 1 0 n/a n/a 0 913
2004 3 904 3 1 0 n/a n/a 1 912
2005 3 853 2 1 0 n/a n/a 0 859
2006 6 829 2 3 0 n/a n/a 1 841
2007 11 860 1 6 1 n/a n/a 0 879
2008 6 854 0 5 0 n/a n/a 3 868
2009 10 815 1 5 1 n/a n/a 1 833
2010 6 771 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 783
2011 9 742 1 4 0 1 11 0 768
2012 10 714 1 5 0 0 9 0 739
2013 6 712 0 11 0 0 8 0 737
2014 5 713 0 9 0 1 11 0 739
2015 7 678 0 11 0 1 11 0 708
2016 6 664 0 13 0 0 8 0 691
2017 6 641 0 13 0 0 6 0 666
2018 16 625 1 13 0 0 15 0 670
2019 24 645 1 12 0 2 17 0 701
2020 16 649 1 16 0 1 21 0 704
2021 12 659 2 19 0 1 32 0 725
2022 12 665 1 22 0 1 32 0 733
2023 10 667 1 27 0 0 20 0 725
2024 17 645 1 30 0 0 26 0 719

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 W.J. Keenan High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1147 53.9 21.2 n/a
1989 1073 54.2 19.7 n/a
1990 982 53.5 18.3 n/a
1991 964 49.5 19.4 27
1992 928 47.1 19.7 31.4
1993 925 48.1 19.2 33
1994 879 49.2 17.9 40
1995 905 56.7 16.0 39.9
1996 905 56.7 16.0 39.9
1997 917 58.7 15.6 58.1
1998 978 55.9 17.5 33.7
1999 984 61.9 15.9 36.4
2000 942 70.7 13.3 36.7
2001 873 59.5 14.7 37.9
2002 913 58.3 15.7 46
2003 913 58.3 15.7 46
2004 912 57.1 16.0 54.3
2005 859 56.0 15.3 52.7
2006 841 57.5 14.6 52
2007 879 76.0 11.6 57
2008 868 61.0 14.2 58
2009 833 54.0 15.4 54.2
2010 783 54.0 14.5 62.5
2011 768 52.0 14.7 68.4
2012 739 52.0 14.2 66.4
2013 737 51.0 14.4 66.9
2014 739 53.0 13.9 67.7
2015 708 54.0 13.1 70.8
2016 691 55.0 12.5 100
2017 666 55.7 11.9 100
2018 670 53.0 12.6 100
2019 701 55.0 12.7 100
2020 704 54.0 13.0 100
2021 725 58.0 12.5 100
2022 733 59.0 12.4 100
2023 725 56.0 12.9 100
2024 719 53.5 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 W.J. Keenan High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1147 53.9 21.2 n/a
1989 1073 54.2 19.7 n/a
1990 982 53.5 18.3 n/a
1991 964 49.5 19.4 27
1992 928 47.1 19.7 31.4
1993 925 48.1 19.2 33
1994 879 49.2 17.9 40
1995 905 56.7 16.0 39.9
1996 905 56.7 16.0 39.9
1997 917 58.7 15.6 58.1
1998 978 55.9 17.5 33.7
1999 984 61.9 15.9 36.4
2000 942 70.7 13.3 36.7
2001 873 59.5 14.7 37.9
2002 913 58.3 15.7 46
2003 913 58.3 15.7 46
2004 912 57.1 16.0 54.3
2005 859 56.0 15.3 52.7
2006 841 57.5 14.6 52
2007 879 76.0 11.6 57
2008 868 61.0 14.2 58
2009 833 54.0 15.4 54.2
2010 783 54.0 14.5 62.5
2011 768 52.0 14.7 68.4
2012 739 52.0 14.2 66.4
2013 737 51.0 14.4 66.9
2014 739 53.0 13.9 67.7
2015 708 54.0 13.1 70.8
2016 691 55.0 12.5 100
2017 666 55.7 11.9 100
2018 670 53.0 12.6 100
2019 701 55.0 12.7 100
2020 704 54.0 13.0 100
2021 725 58.0 12.5 100
2022 733 59.0 12.4 100
2023 725 56.0 12.9 100
2024 719 53.5 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 W.J. Keenan High

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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 $400 (2.5%) $463 (2.9%) $863 (5.3%) $12,405 (76.7%) $2,900 (17.9%) $15,305 (94.7%) $16,168
2020 $806 (4.9%) $730 (4.5%) $1,536 (9.4%) $11,905 (72.8%) $2,907 (17.8%) $14,812 (90.6%) $16,348
2021 $992 (5.9%) $709 (4.2%) $1,700 (10.2%) $12,443 (74.4%) $2,575 (15.4%) $15,018 (89.8%) $16,718
2022 $900 (5.3%) $581 (3.4%) $1,481 (8.7%) $12,932 (75.8%) $2,648 (15.5%) $15,580 (91.3%) $17,061
2023 $534 (2.9%) $879 (4.7%) $1,413 (7.6%) $14,198 (76.3%) $2,991 (16.1%) $17,189 (92.4%) $18,602

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

Impact of COVID-19 on W.J. Keenan High

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 186th of 225 High schoolsRanks 209th of 237 High schools
 5.5%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (W.J. Keenan High)66.946.2
 20.7%
   End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (Richland 01)55.558
 2.5%
   End of Course Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technologies 2 (South Carolina)68.668.3
 0.3%
End of Course Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (W.J. Keenan High)41.530.6
 10.9%
   End of Course Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (Richland 01)49.740.6
 9.1%
   End of Course Biology 1/Applied Biology 2 (South Carolina)67.259.1
 8.1%
End of Course English 1 (W.J. Keenan High)63.275.6
 12.4%
   End of Course English 1 (Richland 01)67.976.3
 8.4%
   End of Course English 1 (South Carolina)78.984
 5.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students701725
 3.4%
African American645667
 3.4%
American Indian00
Asian11
Hispanic1227
 125%
Pacific Islander20
 100%
White2410
 58.3%
Two or More Races1720
 17.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%100%


Schools Near W.J. Keenan High









Frequently Asked Questions about W.J. Keenan High

W.J. Keenan High ranks in the bottom 8.9% of South Carolina high schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 719 students attended W.J. Keenan High.

W.J. Keenan High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : A. J. Lewis Greenview Elementary
Elementary : Burton Pack Elementary
Middle : W. G. Sanders Middle

Students at W.J. Keenan High are 90% African American, 4% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% White.


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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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