Polo Road Elementary

Summary:

Polo Road Elementary is a public elementary school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving 604 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Richland 02 school district, which is ranked 33 out of 75 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Academically, Polo Road Elementary has struggled, ranking in the bottom half of South Carolina elementary schools. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are significantly lower than the district and state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the school's 3rd-grade proficiency rates were 36.1% in ELA and 32.4% in Math, compared to the district's 51% and 54.2%, and the state's 53.8% and 54.5%, respectively. However, the school's African American and Hispanic students have performed better than the overall school, ranking in the top 25% and top 40% of South Carolina elementary schools, respectively, in recent years.

While Polo Road Elementary's academic performance is poor, the school has a relatively high spending per student and a low student-teacher ratio compared to the district and state averages. This suggests that the school may need to focus on more targeted interventions and strategies to improve student outcomes. Interestingly, Satchel Ford Elementary, a school in the neighboring Richland 01 district, has significantly outperformed Polo Road Elementary and the Richland 02 district as a whole, despite serving a student population with a higher percentage of low-income and minority students.


Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-5

 1250 Polo Road
       Columbia, SC  29223


(803) 419-2226

District: Richland 02

SchoolDigger Rank:
524th of 638 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,830 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  11.3 Help
Number of students:  659

Racial breakdown:

African American:
48.9%
Hispanic:
34.6%
White:
7.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  69.8% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Polo Road Elementary ranks worse than 82.1% of elementary schools in South Carolina. It also ranks 21st among 22 ranked elementary schools in the Richland 02 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.86. (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 Racial makeup is: African American (48.9%), Hispanic (34.6%), White (7.4%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 69.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Polo Road Elementary is 11.3, which is the 3rd best among 22 elementary schools in the Richland 02 School District. (See more...)
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Compare Polo Road Elementary employs 57.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Polo Road Elementary is $14,830, which is the 5th highest among 22 elementary schools in the Richland 02 School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Polo Road Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Polo Road Elementary 524th of 638 South Carolina public elementary schools. (See Polo Road Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:


Richland 02:

SchoolDigger ranks Richland 02 33rd of 75 South Carolina school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Polo Road Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Polo Road Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 64.01 204th 566 64.0%
2008 70.04 155th 577 73.1%
2009 54.25 284th 580 51.0%
2010 53.90 291st 589 50.6%
2011 56.48 276th 597 53.8%
2012 58.85 266th 594 55.2%
2013 61.16 246th 599 58.9%
2014 67.19 201st 630 68.1%
2015 64.05 184th 638 71.2%
2016 64.13 216th 619 65.1%
2017 58.57 249th 639 61.0%
2018 48.86 314th 624 49.7%
2019 40.67 393rd 643 38.9%
2021 23.67 473rd 622 24.0%
2022 33.33 420th 625 32.8%
2023 41.70 369th 644 42.7%
2024 19.86 524th 638 17.9%
See the entire list of South Carolina Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Polo Road Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.07 61st 82 25.6%
2019 24.22 82nd 104 21.2%
2021 17.08 77th 84 8.3%
2022 34.35 58th 84 31.0%
2023 41.32 38th 72 47.2%
2024 27.32 58th 79 26.6%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Polo Road Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 52.47 267th 588 54.6%
2019 37.48 396th 600 34.0%
2021 23.99 459th 580 20.9%
2022 26.93 453rd 600 24.5%
2023 42.51 355th 608 41.6%
2024 18.39 515th 599 14.0%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Polo Road Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.43 296th 570 48.1%
2019 41.75 360th 588 38.8%
2021 28.91 399th 554 28.0%
2022 31.90 397th 573 30.7%
2023 47.28 306th 580 47.2%
2024 20.55 461st 565 18.4%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Polo Road Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 68.31 32nd 161 80.1%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Polo Road Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 48.21 300th 571 47.5%
2019 38.54 379th 590 35.8%
2021 17.02 464th 561 17.3%
2022 32.90 393rd 579 32.1%
2023 33.56 384th 582 34.0%
2024 17.36 483rd 568 15.0%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Polo Road Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 87.27 25th 412 93.9%
2019 84.68 34th 421 91.9%
2021 64.78 88th 350 74.9%
2022 64.62 106th 393 73.0%
2023 75.61 61st 394 84.5%
2024 45.03 195th 369 47.2%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Polo Road Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools SC State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.54 70th 104 32.7%
2019 34.33 78th 116 32.8%
2021 20.44 76th 86 11.6%
2022 36.57 79th 115 31.3%
2023 37.16 73rd 115 36.5%
2024 24.27 88th 115 23.5%
See the entire list of Best South Carolina Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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.

Polo Road Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: South Carolina Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

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0%

0%

  

Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Polo Road Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2007 173 224 57 68 0 n/a n/a 0 522
2008 207 282 52 76 1 n/a n/a 0 618
2009 202 358 67 68 1 n/a n/a 0 696
2010 170 397 77 79 1 n/a n/a 0 724
2011 175 411 77 98 0 2 10 0 773
2012 140 272 59 105 0 1 10 0 587
2013 123 302 46 119 0 1 26 0 617
2014 118 298 46 128 0 0 19 0 609
2015 114 302 48 164 5 0 12 0 645
2016 98 298 38 197 3 0 28 0 662
2017 74 342 39 201 2 0 33 0 691
2018 57 366 22 210 0 0 30 0 685
2019 55 365 19 222 0 0 23 0 684
2020 54 311 18 246 0 1 21 0 651
2021 46 271 25 229 0 1 23 0 595
2022 45 278 18 233 0 1 27 0 602
2023 47 295 18 212 0 1 31 0 604
2024 49 322 18 228 0 1 41 0 659

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 Polo Road Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 522 52.0 10.0 33.9
2008 618 44.0 14.0 35
2009 696 52.0 13.4 36.8
2010 724 52.8 13.7 32.5
2011 773 50.8 15.2 37.1
2012 587 45.4 12.9 44.8
2013 617 46.0 13.4 53
2014 609 46.2 13.1 47.8
2015 645 50.0 12.9 52.7
2016 662 52.0 12.7 62.4
2017 691 52.3 13.2 63.2
2018 685 57.3 11.9 61.6
2019 684 56.3 12.1 63
2020 651 56.0 11.6 64.1
2021 595 55.0 10.8 64.7
2022 602 50.8 11.8 54.8
2023 604 52.2 11.5 79.3
2024 659 57.9 11.3 69.8

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 Polo Road Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2007 522 52.0 10.0 33.9
2008 618 44.0 14.0 35
2009 696 52.0 13.4 36.8
2010 724 52.8 13.7 32.5
2011 773 50.8 15.2 37.1
2012 587 45.4 12.9 44.8
2013 617 46.0 13.4 53
2014 609 46.2 13.1 47.8
2015 645 50.0 12.9 52.7
2016 662 52.0 12.7 62.4
2017 691 52.3 13.2 63.2
2018 685 57.3 11.9 61.6
2019 684 56.3 12.1 63
2020 651 56.0 11.6 64.1
2021 595 55.0 10.8 64.7
2022 602 50.8 11.8 54.8
2023 604 52.2 11.5 79.3
2024 659 57.9 11.3 69.8

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 Polo Road 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 $412 (3.3%) $417 (3.4%) $830 (6.7%) $10,368 (83.3%) $1,248 (10.0%) $11,616 (93.3%) $12,446
2020 $399 (3.4%) $402 (3.4%) $801 (6.8%) $9,605 (81.7%) $1,350 (11.5%) $10,955 (93.2%) $11,756
2021 $389 (3.1%) $295 (2.4%) $684 (5.5%) $10,288 (82.9%) $1,441 (11.6%) $11,730 (94.5%) $12,414
2022 $682 (4.9%) $593 (4.3%) $1,275 (9.2%) $11,294 (81.7%) $1,253 (9.1%) $12,547 (90.8%) $13,822
2023 $1,021 (6.9%) $846 (5.7%) $1,867 (12.6%) $11,636 (78.5%) $1,327 (8.9%) $12,963 (87.4%) $14,830

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Polo Road 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 393rd of 643 Elementary schoolsRanks 369th of 644 Elementary schools
 3.8%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Polo Road Elementary)37.544.5
 7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Richland 02)51.152.3
 1.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)49.753.5
 3.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Polo Road Elementary)41.746.7
 5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Richland 02)6252.1
 9.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)57.753.6
 4.1%
4th Grade Science (Polo Road Elementary)4143.5
 2.5%
   4th Grade Science (Richland 02)51.146.9
 4.2%
   4th Grade Science (South Carolina)5246.6
 5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Polo Road Elementary)43.662
 18.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Richland 02)53.760
 6.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)51.357.2
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Polo Road Elementary)43.640
 3.6%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Richland 02)53.348.9
 4.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (South Carolina)50.547
 3.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Polo Road Elementary)36.647.4
 10.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Richland 02)44.358.8
 14.5%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (South Carolina)4155.2
 14.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Polo Road Elementary)51.923.9
 28%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Richland 02)51.145.4
 5.7%
   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 Students684604
 11.7%
African American365295
 19.2%
American Indian00
Asian1918
 5.3%
Hispanic222212
 4.5%
Pacific Islander01
White5547
 14.5%
Two or More Races2331
 34.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients63%79.3%
 16.3%


Schools Near Polo Road Elementary









Frequently Asked Questions about Polo Road Elementary

Polo Road Elementary ranks in the bottom 17.9% of South Carolina elementary schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 659 students attended Polo Road Elementary.

Students at Polo Road Elementary are 49% African American, 35% Hispanic, 7% White, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.


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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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