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Public elementary school · Richland 02 · Columbia, South Carolina

E. L. Wright Middle

E. L. Wright Middle rates 8.3, above the middle of Richland 02's elementary schools, whose rated median is 7.4.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.3this school

8.3 on a one-to-ten scale; the Richland 02 median is 7.4.

#92 of 1,190 schools in South Carolina · Richland 02: 23 elementary schools rated, median 7.4

The brief

A Richland 02 elementary school serving grades Kindergarten – 8th.

It ranks 92 of 1,190 schools in South Carolina and 4 of 32 in Richland 02.

E. L. Wright Middle is listed in Richland 02, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math53%5 points above the South Carolina average of 48%Grades 3–8 · 1,052 students tested · 2026 SC READY
Reading72%11 points above the South Carolina average of 61%Grades 3–8 · 1,062 students tested · 2026 SC READY
In 2026, 53% of students were proficient in math and 72% in reading, against South Carolina averages of 48% and 61%.2026 SC READY; 43 test records from SC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
10.0
50% of the rating
Academics
7.1
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
5.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 51% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SC READY · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SC READY · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 29223; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
E. L. Wright Middle and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$56,300
Median home value
$183,800
Median rent
$1,217/mo
College educated
36.1%
Homeownership
57.9%
Poverty rate
18%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 29223; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
19
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
30
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,931/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Columbia. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Columbia), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
58.3%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. E. L. Wright Middlethis school
    8.3
  2. 7.8Compare →
  3. 7.6Compare →
  4. 7.4Compare →
  5. 7.3Compare →
  6. 7.2Compare →
  7. 7.1Compare →
  8. 6.6Compare →
  9. 6.3Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and none rates higher than E. L. Wright Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does E. L. Wright Middle serve?

E. L. Wright Middle serves students in grades Kindergarten through 8th.

How many students attend E. L. Wright Middle?

E. L. Wright Middle has an enrollment of approximately 1,285 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at E. L. Wright Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at E. L. Wright Middle is 15.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does E. L. Wright Middle rank in SC?

E. L. Wright Middle ranks #92 of 1,190 schools in SC.

What is E. L. Wright Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

E. L. Wright Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at E. L. Wright Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, E. L. Wright Middle has 51% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is E. L. Wright Middle a charter school?

No, E. L. Wright Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is E. L. Wright Middle a Title I school?

No, E. L. Wright Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for E. L. Wright Middle?

58.3% of students at E. L. Wright Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 8th
Enrollment
1,285
Student-teacher ratio
15.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
85
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Richland County
Rank in district
#4 of 32
Schools in district
32
District spending per student
$14,024
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
15.0%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 29223)
52,835
Area average commute
24.1 min
Area median age
37.2

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, South Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.